Aid to the Church in Need Stories

Catholics in Mongolia - A growing Church in difficult terrain

News — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:35:59 GMT

"In July 2012 we are hoping to open three new parishes," says Father Kuafa Herv�. Aged 34, he is a priest of the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia.

He is speaking to representatives of the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). In the summer of 2012 it will be the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and this Central Asian nation.

Since that day in 1992, the number of Catholics here has grown slowly but steadily.

At present there are four parishes and a total of close to 800 Catholics in the country as a whole, who are served by 71 missionaries, of which there are 49 religious, 21 priests and 1 Bishop.

This is not many in a nation of 2.7 million inhabitants and a total area of over 600,000 square miles.

Buddhism is the dominant faith in Mongolia; though like all other forms of religion it was massively oppressed during the Soviet era until the collapse of communism.

Today, for many Mongols, Buddhism is a part of their national identity, while other religions, including Christianity, are perceived as foreign, and Catholic priests like Father Hervé feel this.

For five years now, this Missionary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) has been braving the extremes of the climate: from -30° C in winter to +30° C in summer.

Despite these extremes, and despite the daytime-night time temperature range of up to more or less 30°C, Father Hervé is troubled less by this than by the changing official perception of the Catholic Church in the country, as the tone is no longer as friendly as it was just a few years ago.

Preaching the faith is today permitted only within Church premises, and young people of 16 and under may only attend catechetical instruction with the written permission of their parents. Priests must not appear in public dressed as such.

Father Hervé teaches English, French and music, since the teaching of religion is not permitted in the schools but only inside the churches. Hence, as Father Hervé emphasizes, Catholics in Mongolia are now a "beleaguered Church."

The first Catholic missions here began in the early 20th century and continued up to the time of the Soviet persecutions. After the political changes there was a new beginning, and interest in the Catholic faith began to grow.

In 1992 the post-communist, democratically elected government invited the Catholic Church into the country, expressly for the sake of her schools and social services.

In 2002, the Vatican established the Apostolic Prefecture of Ulan Bator. At the time there were just 114 Catholics living in Mongolia.

One year later the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul was formally consecrated in the capital. Architecturally, the building reflects the shape of a Yurt, the traditional tent of the nomadic peoples of Central Asia

Interest in the Catholic Church remains undimmed in Mongolia, however, and ACN regularly supports the pastoral initiatives of the apostolic prefecture of Ulan Bator.

Most recently, ACN offered assistance in purchasing an all-terrain vehicle for use in pastoral work, given the vast distances in Mongolia, the lack of fully tarmacked roads and the difficult driving conditions.

As Father Hervé observes, in this country both man and machine need plenty of staying power in order to reach their goal.

According to the priest, “We are going out to the people. And referring to Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 19, we want to show them that love is also the service that the Church carries out in order to attend constantly to man's sufferings and his needs, including material needs.”

“And [the Church] is teaching people the value of a personal relationship with God in the prayer and of forgiveness."

Father Hervé added at one point: "Despite all the difficulties, in many respects things are only just starting.”

Holy Land - ACN supports rebuilding of a Benedictine monastery in Tabgha

News — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:56:03 GMT

"Many thanks to the charity Aid to the Church in Need for all it has done for the rebuilding of the monastery in Tabgha, and for all the other things it does for the Church."

In these words, Archbishop Joachim Cardinal Meisner of Cologne expressed his gratitude at a meeting with ACN on Thursday, May 17 (Ascension Day), for its support for the first reconstruction of a Benedictine monastery in the Holy Land in over 100 years.

Cardinal Meisner continued, "The monks of Tabgha are the men of Galilee who look up to Heaven, just as at the Ascension of the Lord. That is their service. Thus they help us to ensure that Heaven is not forgotten."

Before this, the Cardinal had celebrated a Pontifical Mass in the Monastery Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee (Gennesaret) and then dedicated the new building adjacent to it.

Those in attendance included the Apostolic Nuncio to Israel, Archbishop Antonio Franco, as well as the Latin Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, who was representing his successor Fouad Twal.

Cardinal Meisner held the blessing as President of the German Union of the Holy Land, the builder and owner of the premises.

The Benedictine Priory of the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem, which has been based in Tabgha since 1939, will enjoy the use of the new convent.

The rebuilding was necessary in this earthquake-threatened zone because the old building from the 1950s had been constructed without foundations and was thus dilapidated and in danger of collapse.

For the first time a cloister has been erected, which is necessary for a genuine Benedictine monastery.

According to Father Jeremias Marseille OSB, who was responsible for the rebuilding, alongside the Association of German Dioceses (VDD) the costs were mainly borne by twelve German dioceses and the German Union of the Holy Land.

In addition there were many individual donations, including one from ACN. The charity provided $63,850 to build a small air-conditioned summer oratory inside the cloister.

Because summer temperatures on the Sea of Galilee can reach up to 50 degrees and the monastery church is often very noisy on account of the many visitors, the chapel enables the monks to withdraw for quiet prayer.

This summer, six monks from the community will live in the Priory of Tabgha. These monks represent the only monastic community on the Sea of Galilee with a public Liturgy of the Hours.

Father Jeremias described the spiritual mission of the monks of Tabgha as being to habituate themselves to seek God with the people and to grow in their love of Christ.

He expressly thanked the donors from ACN for their support: "May all of them be blessed in the spirit of Jesus Christ. Here, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, He revealed Himself to the multitude, and He still does so today in His own way."

Catholic leaders speak out against spreading violence in Mozambique

News — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:13:06 GMT

In a dramatic appeal, the Conference of Religious Institutions in Mozambique (CIRM) took a forthright stand against the rising tide of violence in this southeast African coastal nation, declaring boldly, "We publicly protest against the violence that afflicts our nation and claims innocent human lives."

The wave of brutal attacks is not even sparing the religious, writes Francisco Lerma Martínez, Bishop of Gurúè in the northeast of the country, in a letter to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

The causes for the exploding crime wave are the widespread poverty and glaring social inequalities.

According to the United Nations, Mozambique is the fourth-poorest nation in the world. Close to 23 million persons currently inhabit this land, which measures 303,476 square miles.

The appeal of the religious institutions continues, “Organ trade and human trafficking, rape, kidnapping, murder, armed robbery: all these acts of violence reduce citizens to hostages in their own country.”

“We cannot imagine our nation developing without fundamental human values. These are not fungible. On the contrary, one human life is much more valuable than any large-scale project or financial investment.”

“We appeal to the civil population, non-governmental organizations, the media and all persons of good will to discuss ways to break out of the spiral of violence,” the appeal went on to say.

The CIRM protest was sparked by the brutal armed robbery of a mission station of the Consolata Missionaries at the beginning of May, in the course of which one religious was killed.

Pray for peace in Sudan

News — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:50:42 GMT

"So God may move the hearts of the powerful and bring them to a better understanding!" These are the words of the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), inviting contemplative religious orders and Christians worldwide to pray for peace in Sudan.

Whether Carmelites from Gitega in Burundi or Poor Clares from Antsirabe in Madagascar, congregations from several African and Asian countries have already pledged their support.

Msgr. Daniel Adwok, Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum, welcomed the initiative: “We pray for the two Governments and also for the people helping them to choose the way of peace and good neighborliness among the two people of the North and the South.”

The most recent conflicts in the border area between the two Sudanese states form the background to the prayer campaign.

The call to prayer for peace in Sudan applies to the nine days leading up to this year’s Feast of Pentecost. Starting on May 17, thousands want to pray for this matter of vital concern.

The Pentecost novena is oriented to the gathering of Mary, the Mother of God, and the Apostles 2000 years ago. They asked for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which also means peace for all peoples.

Sudan needs this peace more urgently than ever, as the retired Bishop of Torit in South Sudan, Msgr. Paride Taban, emphasized to Aid to the Church in Need: “The clashes of the past weeks threaten the development of South Sudan and the reconstruction work of the international community.”

“The people have suffered long enough. They want peace at last!”

Aid to the Church in Need invites Christians and people of good will to join the campaign.

Syria - Fears for the future

News, — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:13:45 GMT

"We are afraid of a scenario like in Iraq, where many Christians are threatened or killed, are fleeing or afraid of going on the streets." This was a report of an Orthodox archbishop, speaking about the situation facing Christians in Syria.

Silvanus Petros Al-nemeh, the Archbishop of Homs and Hama, made his statement during a visit to international Catholic charity organization Aid to the church in Need in Munich.

Together with Archbishop Eustathius Matta Roham, the Archbishop of Jazirah and Euphrates, Archbishop Al-nemeh spoke out in favor for a dialogue with clear aims for a peaceful future of Syria.

According to the archbishop, 50,000 Christians have fled Homs, and he himself has left the city.

Many of those fleeing are now staying with relatives in the surrounding area.

Archbishop Al-nemeh said that the people are asking themselves two questions: if and when they can return to their houses and hometown.

The archbishops affirmed that the Church has an important role to play in the peace process.

“The Church stands for justice and peace - and not for corruption by the government or violence in the name of Allah,” said Archbishop Roham.

Only dialogue could bring peace and allow the return of the fled people, said the Archbishop of Jazirah and Euphrates additionally.

“What has happened in Homs, could also happen in other cities,” he said.

Concerning the complex conflict situation in Syria, Archbishop Roham said that there is a need to listen to the opinion of both the rebels as well as government.

Peace between both parties could be reached if the Russian and American government would take together the initiative of sponsoring the dialogue, emphasized the archbishop.

Both bishops asked for prayers and the support for the people in Syria, warning that the situation is more catastrophic than outsiders imagine.

Stop the conflict in Sudan

News — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:43:46 GMT

"The people have suffered long enough. They want peace at last," declared Msgr. Paride Taban, former Bishop of Torit in South Sudan, in a dramatic appeal condemning the most recent tensions in the border region between the two Sudans.

“The oil conflict and the associated fighting threaten the development of South Sudan and the development work of the international community,” Msgr. Taban emphasized during a visit to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

At the same time, he noted that the current hostilities represent a limited conflict, and not a new war. He identified as the cause the dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over the proceeds from oil production.

The 76-year-old retired bishop, initiator of the peace initiative Holy Trinity Peace Village, described a compromise as both necessary and possible.

Seven years ago, Bishop Taban founded his peace village in Kuron in South Sudan to show that different tribes and adherents of different religions and confessions can live together in peace.

With regard to South Sudan, Bishop Taban stated, “Even though the majority of the country is not affected, the most recent fighting benefits no one. I call on all parties to the 2005 peace agreement to rapidly come to a peaceful resolution.”

In recent days, the government of South Sudan has complained of repeated bombardments of civilians by the north.

The settlement area of the Nuba in the North Sudanese border region is particularly affected.

Experts estimate that during the Sudan conflict, which lasted over two decades, around two million people were killed and four million more displaced.

The civil war did not end until 2005, when a peace agreement was arrived at through international mediation.

Following a referendum in January 2011, South Sudan officially declared its independence six months later.

The young nation with less than nine million inhabitants is almost as large as France, but possesses neither functioning governmental structures nor adequate infrastructure.

Everything is lacking: roads, schools, hospitals and water supply are needed most urgently.

The two countries are at odds over distribution of revenues from oil resources and the precise border demarcation.

The Catholic Church is important to Madagascar's development

News — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:27:15 GMT

"The strength of the Church is its closeness to the people, and particularly to the poorest."

With these words, Father Roman Majewski described the mission and the responsibility of the Catholic Church in Madagascar.

“The Church makes an important contribution to the development of the country,” the priest emphasized during a visit to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Majewski comes from Poland and is a member of the Order of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (Oblati Mariae Immaculatae, OMI).

He explained that, although the internal political situation in this island state, which lies off the coast of South-East Africa, is difficult following numerous upheavals, the Church has nevertheless been able to preserve its independence.

The bishops are respected as “the elders of the nation.”

Father Majewski continued, “Although Madagascar is rich in natural resources, 80 percent of the people are living in poverty.”

A lack of education and widespread corruption hinder the development of this country, which with a surface area of 226,642 square miles is the second-largest island state in the world after Indonesia.

Madagascar now has 22 million inhabitants. More than half of them belong to indigenous religions, and seven percent are Muslims.

The proportion of Christians is around 40 percent, and about a quarter of Madagascar’s population are Catholics.

Among other things, propagation of the faith is carried out in schools by various missionary orders, including the Oblates. They see religious instruction as an indispensable part of school education.

Since the state only guarantees education in the towns, there is a shortage of schools in the interior of the country.

“Oblate” is derived from the Latin word “oblatus,” meaning “dedicated.” The term applies to the members of this missionary community, who wholly dedicate their lives to God and the service of their neighbors.

Sixty members of the Order, two-thirds of them natives of Madagascar, are currently working in four of the country’s 21 dioceses, especially amongst the poor: they care for the old and sick, distribute medicines and food, and operate numerous schools.

ACN is currently considering the sponsorship of a project by the Oblates in the Diocese of Fianarantsoa in the south-east of Madagascar where the Order is planning the construction of a pastoral and social center, various social and charitable activities, and educational offerings.

An internet café is also planned in order to give the rural population access to social media.

Oblates have been providing pastoral care in Madagascar for 30 years.

Support the Formation of Catechists in Tanzania

Project — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:47:02 GMT

Project Code: 154-01-49

Each year the number of Christians in Africa grows by approximately 8.4 million. That means that on average 23,000 people are baptized every day. Within the next 30 years, at this rate, the number of Christians on the continent will have doubled.

One indispensable aspect of the life of the Church in Africa is catechists, for despite the growing number of vocations to the priesthood, there are in many places still far too few priests for the sheer number of Catholic faithful. This makes the work of the catechists, who support the priests in their work, an absolute necessity, above all in the numerous remote and often inaccessible villages in rural areas. They gather the people for prayer, prepare them for reception of the Sacraments, teach them the Word of God, sometimes in a simple chapel, often simply under a tree.

Indeed this is a sight one can witness almost any day and at almost any time in many African villages: a group of the faithful gathered around a catechist, sometimes praying together, at other times sitting in the shade discussing a passage of the Holy Scriptures; elsewhere perhaps a group of married couples, among them many mothers with little babies in their arms, all learning together how to successfully raise a Christian family and give their children a Catholic education.

This is what the life of the Church is like in the Parish of All Saints in Mtandika in the Diocese of Iringa in southwest Tanzania, where the work of the catechists is vital. The parish priest, Father Francis Mkakanze, is the only priest ministering to a parish of 6,000 Catholics. And the numbers are growing ever greater, for most families have many children.

This parish, established in 1994, today has nine outstations, each of which the priest manages to visit once or twice a month. On these occasions he celebrates Holy Mass, administers the other sacraments and is ready to listen to and counsel the people with spiritual and practical advice. But obviously, he cannot be everywhere at once, and this is where his 18 catechists are such a great help to him. When he cannot be there they gather together with the people to pray and celebrate liturgies of the Word, and they also help by giving religious instruction in the local village schools.
But while these catechists work with great commitment and devotion, most of them are not sufficiently well trained in their faith. Often they lack the fundamental understanding they need in order to teach others. As a result, Father Francis would like to send 16 of them on courses so that they can better fulfill their task.

Although the parishioners are extremely poor, they have nonetheless managed to raise $262 towards the cost. This comes to just $16.40 for each catechist, which is nowhere near enough, since they have to pay not only the fees for the course but for the travel costs, as well as for room and board and for books and other materials. All in all it will cost $262 for each catechist, and So Father Francis Mkakanze has turned to ACN for support.

We have promised him $3,900, or $246 for each catechist. While this seems like a relatively small sum, it is one that can bring great spiritual benefit to a great many faithful. Will you help Father Mkakanze fund these catechists so that they can support the life of the Church in Tanzania?

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Tense relationship between the Church and the government in Bolivia

News — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:49:25 GMT

An already tense relationship between the Church and the government in Bolivia has been further strained as local Catholic leaders have spoken out against coca cultivation and threats to the environment.

Declaring, “Cultivation and logging must cease,” the Bishops’ Conference of Bolivia has condemned the widespread cultivation of coca and the destruction of rain forests.

The government of this South American country is set to approve the clear-cutting of further forests. Additionally, a highway linking eastern Bolivia with Western Brazil is planned to run through the heart of a nature reserve.

This would not only destroy important resources but also promote the spread of coca, Archbishop Sergio Alfredo Gualberti, Auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz, told staff members of international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

The planned road would slash through the heart of the Isiboro Secure National Park, a region that has been officially set aside for indigenous peoples.

Critics of the project fear an increase in illegal logging and further environmental destruction due to new settlement along the planned route.

Because of this, the Bishops’ Conference has drafted a pastoral letter on environmental protection, justice and development, entitled, “The universe, a gift of God for life.”

In the Andean nations, the cultivation of coca is restricted by law, as the leaves can also be processed into cocaine.

For some years now, however, President Evo Morales, who was previously one of the main leaders of the coca farmers, and who was re-elected in December 2009, has been advocating allowing coca farmers to further expand their cultivation.

His government has repeatedly harshly rejected criticism from abroad as well as from the Church.

The relationship between the Church and the government was considered tense even before this. A constitutional amendment providing for the strict separation of church and state also contributed to this adversarial relationship.

In the Catholic Church, the political changes have given rise to a shift in perspective. For the episcopate, says Archbishop Gualberti, the mission of propagating the Faith takes priority.

The pastoral work in the parishes is to be strengthened and the training of lay catechists, religious and seminarians is to be actively promoted.

Although over three quarters of Bolivia’s 10 million inhabitants are nominally Catholic, the practice of the Faith has declined among many groups.

Ukraine - Greek Catholic Church facing new challenges

News — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:37:58 GMT

"The Church must be present in society, in the media, the schools, the hospitals, the prisons." With these words, the Greek Catholic Archbishop of Ivano-Frankivsk, Volodymyr Viytyshyn, drew attention to the growing responsibility of the Greek Catholic Church in western Ukraine.

“We need well-trained staff; therefore we have launched various education projects,” said Archbishop Viytyshyn during a visit to international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

The Archeparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk is the second-largest diocese of the Greek Catholic Church in the Ukraine after Lviv.

According to Archbishop Viytyshyn, 456 priests are currently providing pastoral care in 360 parishes.

In the Greek Catholic Church, the majority of pastors are married, but a small percentage chooses to live in celibacy.

Three-quarters of the 780,000 people living in the territory of the Archeparchy belong to the Greek Catholic Church.

“In the Soviet period, the most important issue was to keep the faith alive. Today, our main task is to proclaim the Gospels and to build the Church,” says Archbishop Viytyshyn.

In the past, the Church stood up against communism, the archbishop explained; today it is resisting a burgeoning wave of materialism.

In recent years, the Archeparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk has carried out numerous building projects, including with the aid of ACN.

In September, for example, the new theology faculty will be dedicated, while an adjacent building with apartments for 44 lecturers and priests was already completed at the beginning of this year.

The seminary will also be completely renovated without any disruption to teaching.

The building was handed to the Church by the government immediately after the breakup of the Soviet Union to replace the existing seminary; it had previously been used as a Communist Party school.

Initially, temporary building renovations were made in order to be able to start the training immediately, but in the meantime the long-overdue modernization work has commenced.

New residential quarters have been created for the lecturers, but the seminarians are still living in overcrowded conditions.

At present, four students must share a room of 161 square feet, with no washing or toilet facilities.

A total of 270 seminarians are currently residing in the house.

Nigeria - Government too weak to stop Islamists

News — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:11:12 GMT

Nigeria's most senior bishops have blasted the government, saying it is too weak to deal with the growing threat from Islamists waging a campaign of terror against Christians.

Archbishops Ignatius Kaigama, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja both denounced the government’s response to the growing threat from Islamist groups, saying Christians were increasingly at risk of attack.

They were speaking after at least 21 people were killed Sunday, April 29th, in coordinated attacks targeting Sunday services at a university campus in Kano and a Church of Christ in Nigeria, chapel in Maiduguri.

The violence is the latest in a series of attacks on Sunday worshipers but, in a sign that the situation has worsened, Christians at Bayero University chapel were gunned down by Islamists as they tried to escape the scene.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks in which at least 20 people were injured.

Speaking from Nigeria in interviews with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), both bishops said they had lost patience with the government’s efforts to stem the crisis caused by Boko Haram and other militant groups.

Archbishop John Onaiyekan said, “At first we were ready to be patient with the government when it was saying that this kind of Islamic terrorism is new.”

“They have had adequate time to learn how to deal with this situation, gathering intelligence about those directly involved and bring them to book.”

“It has become clear that we have a weak government that has put together a whole lot of compromises that means that the action that should be taking place is not taking place.”

The Archbishop said the government was too divided “to muster the political will” to deal with the crisis.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Kaigama said, “The rampant attacks show that government security is not working.”

“The government is not able to cope with the security situation and we feel quite apprehensive as a result.”

“Why the government cannot identify the people involved baffles the imagination. We pay tax money and we have a right to know what is being done about the problem.”

Archbishop Kaigama, whose northern Diocese of Jos has been among those worst affected by Islamist violence, said, “Those young people killed at the university represented the hope of our country. It defies all logic. They were people trying to build a better country.”

Islamist group Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks, is said to have killed at least 450 people this year alone in violence targeting not just churches but government and police buildings and markets.

In one of the worst attacks, 44 people were killed and more than 80 were injured on Christmas Day last year when a suicide bomber targeted St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, outside the capital, Nigeria.

Last month, a Boko Haram spokesman reportedly said the Islamist terrorist group had declared “a war on Christians” aimed at “eradicating” them from parts of the country.

Renovate and Furnish Rooms for Pastoral Work in a Monastery in Slovakia

Project — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:53:38 GMT

Project Code: 443-04-19

Father Lubos Vaclavek is a missionary priest of the Congregation of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He lives with two confreres and two postulants in their monastery in ilina, a town of 85,000 inhabitants in northwest Slovakia. The monastery is also home to an aquarium with many colorful fishes. These fish help Father Lubos in his work, for Father Lubos is a psychiatrist, and the aquarium has a calming effect on the people who come to visit him and seek advice in their suffering, helping them to open up and begin to speak.

The Missionaries of the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary are a small community of priests and brothers that was founded in 1815 in Naples. Today they have 100 active members in Italy, the United States, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Argentina and Slovakia.

The community has been in ilina since 1994 and they do a great deal of good. They work in the pastoral apostolate in the hospitals and care for the homeless and for those with physical and psychological problems, especially women and young people. They also prepare the faithful for the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation and Matrimony and offer pastoral and psychological therapeutic counseling. Their monastery is also the place where the new vocations receive their formation.

However, the living and working conditions for these religious are anything but ideal. The building in which they live and work needs extensive renovation work. The chapel itself has already been lovingly restored, but many of the other rooms, which are urgently needed for their pastoral work, are in a pitiful condition and almost unusable. They also need to be properly furnished. But equally if not more necessary are the repairs to the roof and the need for proper insulation to be installed, so that they do not have to waste so much energy and can bring down their heating costs.

ACN would like to help these priests and brothers, whose work brings such blessings to so many, so that they can carry out the necessary renovation work and at the same time furnish the rooms appropriately. We are therefore planning to help with a contribution of $8,600. Will you help Father Vaclavek renovate and furnish rooms for pastoral work in this monastery in Slovakia?

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Fund the Training of Seminarians in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Project — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:42:50 GMT

Project Code: 444-02-79

Of the 820,000 Catholics who lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina before the Balkan War of 1992 – 1995, only 460,000 remain. And sadly, the wave of emigration is continuing. The truth is that for Catholics in this new nation of south-east Europe, formerly a part of communist Yugoslavia, life is becoming ever more difficult.

Recently, the Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, gave ACN a first-hand account of the way in which Catholics are systematically discriminated against in the field of employment, in the schools and in other spheres of social life. The object of this discrimination is to persuade them to leave the country. Many Church properties and buildings that were confiscated during the communist era have still not been returned. Building permits for churches are delayed, sometimes for years. According to the cardinal, the government has "no interest in returning her properties to the Catholic Church."

With growing concern the 66-year-old cardinal has witnessed the increasing Islamization of the country. In many different places, Islamic centers and mosques are being built, with oil dollars from Saudi Arabia, and new mosques are springing up everywhere, 70 of them in Sarajevo alone in the past few years. Meanwhile, there are already some 3,000 to 5,000 Wahabi Muslims (members of a radical Sunni version of Islam that is the state religion in Saudi Arabia) living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are endeavoring to exert increasing influence in society. "No one in the government has the courage to oppose this development," the cardinal complains.

He goes on to explain that the Catholic Church is the only force in society that is striving for a peaceful coexistence of the various different ethnic groups and religions, on the basis of justice and equality. "We are a minority, but we are a constructive force that is seeking to contribute something to the success of our society."

Thankfully, the news is not all bad. Despite all these difficulties, 54 young men in the Catholic seminary in Sarajevo are preparing to serve one day as priests at the altar of the Lord. The number of vocations has risen sharply, in fact, and this gives the Catholics in the country some reason for hope. For where people find security and a true pastor of souls in their parish, they do not emigrate. And likewise many refugees find the courage to return to their homes as soon as Church life has been rebuilt in their home town or village. Hence priests are urgently needed. Yet almost all the young men who feel called to the priesthood are from poor families, as indeed are most of the Catholics in the country.

ACN is planning to help and we hope to be able to give $9,400 so that these 54 young men, who have chosen to place their lives entirely in the service of the Church and of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, may be able to continue their training this year. And their courageous Cardinal, Vinko Puljic, who has never shirked any personal sacrifice in order to stay by the side of his faithful during the Bosnian war, has written to us, and through us to you, the benefactors, "We, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, are grateful for all the love that we have experienced during the difficult days of communism, the war and the post-war period."

Will you join in funding the training of these seminarians in Sarajevo so that they can keep the faith alive in Bosnia and Herzegovina? We are sure they will gratefully remember you in their prayers.

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Construct a Church in Peru

Project — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:30:47 GMT

Project Code: 234-01-19

In Peru there is a profound and fervent devotion to Saint Rose of Lima, the first saint of Latin America. According to one legend, when she was being baptized, her mother saw a rose hovering above the child, and ever since then she was known as Rose. At the age of 20, and despite the opposition of her parents, Rose became a Dominican tertiary, after having refused to marry. Her love of Jesus Christ was stronger than everything else and as a result she lived a strict life of prayer and penance. Again and again she would pray, "Lord, increase my sufferings, but also my love."

Although she died aged just 31, she founded the first contemplative convent in Latin America. She is usually portrayed with a spray of roses or with a garland of roses, and often with the Child Jesus as well, who is said to have often appeared to her.

One of the many churches in Peru that is dedicated to St. Rose of Lima is in Uchubamba in the Parish of Chugay, high up in the Andes in the prelature of Huamachuco. This prelature is in one of the poorest parts of the entire country. Bishop Sebastian Ramis Torrens told ACN sometime ago, "Agriculture brings in very little income here. For a large sack of potatoes the farmers get just 33 cents. And it's no different for carrots. People simply cannot live on this." And sometimes the harvests fail. "One year it may look as though there is going to be a good harvest, but then a sudden cold snap destroys a huge part of the crop," the bishop explained.

That is why the people of Uchubamba are so poor, and their little church is in a pitiful condition. In fact, it is so bad that it cannot be repaired but needs to be completely rebuilt. ACN is helping with $6,900. Will you give to construct this church in one of the poorest parts of Peru?

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Support the Life and Ministry of Nuns in Argentina

Project — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:25:07 GMT

Project Code: 209-05-39

The diocese with the very long name of San Roque de Presidencia Roque Sáenz Peña is among the poorest in Argentina. It is situated in a largely undeveloped region in the north of the country, the so-called Chaco region, an area of dry woodland and savannah. The diocese has 23 parishes in an area of a little under 30,000 square miles, about the size of some European countries. There are just 28 priests here, ministering to almost 440,000 Catholics.

This not only means that for every priest there are almost 16,000 faithful, already in itself an enormous number, but also that the parishes, and the parishioners, live widely scattered from each other. Religious Sisters are thus an invaluable help to the priests. They care for the people, tending both to their bodily and to their spiritual needs, and ACN has been helping them in their work for years now.

This year there are 28 Sisters, living in nine different communities, who rely on outside donations to support their life and ministry. They care for the street children, pray with the elderly and the sick, help the needy and visit the various different indigenous Indian tribes in their remote villages in the Gran Chaco region.

For decades these indigenous peoples have been living in pitiful conditions on the margins of society. Their dwellings are often little more than simple tarpaulins, stretched between the trees; their beds are bundles of sticks tied together. Their children are frequently malnourished, sometimes little more than skin and bones, and their only food a little flour, softened in water.

Before the missionaries arrived in the Chaco, around the middle of the 20th century, the Indians lived a nomadic lifestyle and to this day they still live an essentially hunter-gatherer existence. But now large agricultural concerns are spreading ever further into their traditional territories, restricting their lifestyle more and more as they grab up the forest and plant vast areas of soya beans. At the same time the cattle and goats of the smaller landowners are eating the forest bare.

These threats to the existence of the Indian tribes are not likely to go away quickly either, for in the past few years the climate in the Chaco has become more humid, and hence the soil is now more productive. At the same time, to this day, the land rights of the indigenous peoples have still not been fully legally established.

The Argentine government has ratified an agreement granting protection to the Indians and guaranteeing their right to their land. However, this convention is being largely ignored by the provincial government and the agricultural companies. For now the Indians have to range further and further, simply in order to gather firewood. Otherwise they face starvation.

The Sisters from the various communities are standing in solidarity with these and all the poorest of the poor in their society, and they shrink from no personal sacrifice in their efforts to ease the needs of others. Bishop Hugo Nicolás Barbaro assures us that the help of these Sisters is absolutely indispensable and offers a special thank you to all the benefactors. "Once again I would like to express my thanks to ACN and its benefactors, who are providing priceless assistance for our work in this region. I include you all in my prayers and ask that the Lord may bless you."

ACN is planning to help the Sisters again this year, with a contribution of $8,500. Will you also contribute to support the life and ministry of these nuns in Argentina as they serve the poorest of the poor?

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Renovate a Carmelite Convent in India

Project — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:15:25 GMT

Project Code: 317-07-19

The Carmelite convent in the Diocese of Jalpaiguri in West Bengal has been there since 1977. The bishop at the time had nurtured the hope that the Sisters would support the life of the diocese by their prayers. Today there are almost 5.4 million people living in the territory of the diocese, of whom only some 131,000 are Catholics, or about 2.4% of the population. The Carmelite convent in Jordhigi has played and continues to play an important role in the life of the diocese.

There are 14 professed Sisters in the convent today, who have already made their permanent vows, together with one Sister who has made her temporary vows and one postulant. They spend seven hours of the day in prayer, and they support themselves by making candles and hosts and by manufacturing and decorating liturgical vestments. The convent also has an area of land which is used for agriculture.

Among other things the convent also serves as a center for spiritual retreats by priests, religious and ordinary laypeople who sometimes comes seeking advice and spiritual counsel. Many have in this way discovered their vocation to the priesthood or the religious life.

However, the Carmelite Sisters are now encountering more and more difficulties with the building in which they live. The asbestos roof is a danger to health, the rendering on the walls is increasingly falling victim to the heavy monsoon rainfall, and water is now dripping into the convent chapel. The electric wiring is likewise deteriorating and the cells of the Sisters and the guestrooms are becoming increasingly rundown. On top of this, the enclosure wall surrounding the convent complex is starting to collapse and crumble.

The general disrepair of the convent has even led to people breaking into the enclosure and stealing the harvested crops. This is a serious loss to the Carmelite Sisters, who in any case only just manage to live on what they produce. And needless to say, such intruders also pose a danger to the Sisters themselves.

For all these problems the Sisters have now turned to ACN for help, and we have promised them $9,700. Will you help these Sisters renovate their convent so they can continue to their life of prayer and service in India? We are sure they will remember you gratefully in their prayers.

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Provide Catechetical Books and DVDs for Poor Parishes in Pakistan

Project — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:09:30 GMT

Project Code: 328-01-89

The bookshop of the St. Paul’s Sisters lies like an oasis in one of the busiest commercial streets of Karachi, the former Pakistani capital, today a port city of 18 million people. Outside, the traffic roars past , brightly painted buses without doors rumble by, motorized rickshaws thread their way through the traffic, mopeds, cars, donkey carts, all accompanied by an unimaginable din and acrid fumes. Amidst this noise and bustle, the Sisters, one Italian and four Pakistani religious, offer a broad range of religious literature and other items: Bibles, holy pictures, Mass vestments, rosaries, postcards, children's First Holy Communion books, Christian CDs and DVDs.

For a Christian establishment in Pakistan, such an exposed position is dangerous. Already in the past there have been attacks. Sister Daniela Baronchelli, who came from Brescia in Italy, nonetheless thinks it is good that the shop is situated in such a public place. "Here it is open to everyone, and anyone can come in," she tells us, though she acknowledges, "We are in great danger." Nevertheless, the Sisters will not allow themselves to be intimidated, and carry on regardless.

Needless to say, the great majority of the customers in the shop are Christians. Above all they purchase Bibles and catechisms. At the same time, however, the Sisters have noticed the ever-worsening poverty and seen how fewer books are being purchased as a result. The situation is growing increasingly critical. Of course the Christians have always been poor, but now there is real destitution, the 80-year-old nun informs us.

She added, sadly, "Our Christians here are very strong in their faith, but many people are weary. The mothers have no work, the fathers have been made laid off from the factory. And there is so much violence, so many people being senselessly killed. God alone knows what will become of this country, Pakistan," she concludes.

The one real source of hope for her is the fact that the Pakistani Christians continue to believe unshakably, despite everything, in the Word and the teaching of God. And they are willing to embrace many sacrifices, too. Last year, when a Muslim religious leader called for the Bible to be banned in Pakistan, many of the faithful came in and bought up Bibles in order to give them to their poorer fellow Christians, so that they would still have a copy of their own even if there was a ban.
Sister Daniela and her fellow Sisters live for the opportunity to bring the Good News of the Gospel to others. ACN has already been able to help them in the past, and Sister Daniela has expressed her gratitude to ACN, not so much for the financial support as above all for the "communion of love" that unites us. "I love ACN," she tells us. "You are helping Christians to grow in their faith. You are in our hearts.”

The Sisters of St. Paul not only run the bookshop but also go out into the parishes, in the villages, and into the Catholic schools in order to distribute Bibles and religious books there. This media apostolate is extremely important. However, it meets with great hostility from some Muslims, since they perceive the items sold as being "against Islam," above all the pictures and films. Yet these are especially important for pastoral work, since many people in Pakistan can neither read nor write.
And so the Sisters continue, despite all the difficulties, for the Catholic faithful need spiritual nourishment to help them remain faithful to Christ and to the Church and be able to draw consolation, health and strength from God's Word in a strongly Islamic environment where life is already dangerous for them.

The Sisters have turned to ACN for help so that they can take Bibles and other catechetical material into some of the poorest parishes of the Archdiocese of Karachi. We have promised them $6,500. Will you help these Sisters provide these Bibles and other catechetical materials to poor parishes in Pakistan?

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Help Poor Clare Sisters Expand Their Convent in Madagascar

Project — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:57:06 GMT

Project Code: 134-06-19

In his famous Canticle of the Sun, St. Francis of Assisi sings the praises of his Creator, along with all the creatures that God has made, sun, moon, stars, wind, air and clouds , fire and water, and the Earth who "sustains and keeps us, and brings forth diverse fruits with grass and flowers bright." Even sickness and death serve to praise God in this hymn, a jewel of spiritual literature.

The Poor Clare Sisters, whose convent was established in Ampasipotsy in central Madagascar in 2010, can join with full hearts in the Canticle of the Sun, for the beauty and abundance of nature on this island are a precious treasure, reflecting the beauty and majesty of the Creator in all their manifold variety. Moreover, their convent lies amid the mountains, with magical views of glorious sunsets.

Nonetheless, the life of the Sisters is far from romantic, consisting of much hard work and great poverty, as the Rule of their order lays down. With their own hands they sow and cultivate rice fields, and they have planted an orchard and a vegetable garden. At the same time, they are replanting the forest, since the one-time tropical paradise of Madagascar is being increasingly devastated. To date the Sisters have planted no fewer than 2,000 trees.

The convent chapel the Sisters use for prayer and worship is also used by the Catholic faithful from more than half a dozen outlying villages that lie too far away from the center of their actual parish. Inside the chapel there is a beautiful fresco portraying the local region in which the convent is situated, with its villages, its rice fields and its people, at the foot of God the Father. Sister Maria Ancilla explains, "This picture is meant to show our villagers that God is present among them, in their villages and at their work. He alone can save them, unlike the talismans from which they seek protection. They are held in fear by their belief in the amulets they wear, for they think to themselves, 'Perhaps my neighbor's talisman is more powerful than mine?' Only the Holy Spirit can lead them to the truth, through the witness of a life uncompromisingly lived according to the Gospel."

Up to half the people of Madagascar still cling to pagan nature religions, making the presence of the Sisters an important contribution to the work of evangelization. And the good name of the Sisters, who live here in poverty, chastity and obedience in a strict life of prayer and hard work, is spreading ever further afield, so that more and more individuals and groups are coming to the Sisters and asking if it is possible to spend a few days, in meditation and contemplation, in their convent.

The need is great, and while the Sisters do what they can, they need our help. Their convent has no guest facilities, and the Sisters have turned to ACN for help so they can accommodate more visitors. We have promised them $7,200. Will you give to help these Poor Clares expand their convent so that more people can join in St. Francis' Canticle of the Sun in this blessed spot in Madagascar?

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