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http://www.lightingacandle.org - As an international Catholic charity under the guidance of the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need’s mission is to help suffering and persecuted faithful worldwide.

Over 1 million children learned to be peacemakers through the RosaryOver 1 million children and young people from all ov...
10/09/2026

Over 1 million children learned to be peacemakers through the Rosary

Over 1 million children and young people from all over the world prayed the Rosary for peace and unity during the week of October 1-7, 2026, as part of the One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign, promoted by pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

This year’s initiative was stretched out over seven days, and ended on October 7, the day of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was kicked off by a very special event, when hundreds of young children joined Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican gardens to pray the Rosary with him, on October 1.

Throughout the campaign, ACN received numerous testimonies from participating communities. In Poland, children gathered at the Presidential Palace and were led in prayer by the president’s chaplain, while children from the Scouts movement in Lebanon recorded videos encouraging those from other countries to pray together for peace.

ACN also received photographs of group prayers, from South Sudan to El Salvador, Zimbabwe to night vigils in Kerala, India.

Participants included over 55,000 children in the United States, and 111,000 in Brazil. Nigeria was the country from Africa with the most registered participants, at 151,000, and the Philippines led in Asia, with over 220,000. More than 6,000 prayed in Australia. Poland, as always, did not disappoint, with at least 76,000 registered participants.

“We deeply believe in the power of children’s prayer,” wrote Fr. Gefthey Jean, of the parish of Notre-Dame de la Nativité, in the Diocese of Anse-à-Veau et Miragoâne in Haiti. “Through the Rosary, we want to teach them that they too can become peacemakers and bring hope to those around them.”

“Thank you for sharing this wonderful initiative. It is inspiring to see how Aid to the Church in Need is uniting children and communities across the globe in prayer for peace and unity,” said Fr. Alfred Kizito Ayella from the Diocese of Gulu in Uganda.



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Christian village attacked in SyriaPontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has received reports of a viole...
10/08/2026

Christian village attacked in Syria

Pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has received reports of a violent incident in a predominantly Christian village in Syria, during which an Orthodox priest narrowly escaped being shot.

According to local sources in direct contact with ACN, violence broke out on the night of October 3, following an altercation between young people from the Christian village of Al-Suqaylabiyah and a neighboring Muslim village, Al-Qalaa. The two villages are in Western Syria.

The dispute subsequently escalated, with armed men from al-Qalaa, a Sunni-majority village, allegedly entering Al-Suqaylabiyah, firing at houses and damaging property.

An Orthodox priest, who for security reasons will not be named, was also caught up in the violence. The priest, who is a project partner of ACN, told the charity that shots were fired at him and at his vehicle. A bullet narrowly missed him, but fortunately, he was not injured.

In a message issued following the incident, a second Orthodox priest from Al-Suqaylabiyah, Father Fadi Sankari, appealed for calm and unity and called for the protection of the local population.

“No one has the right to enter your homes or threaten your safety and dignity,” he said.

Fr. Sankari called for “security, justice, and accountability — not vendettas,” while at the same time urging the Christian community not to allow itself to be drawn into further violence.

“Be brave yet wise,” he said. “Stand united but do not be drawn into violence. Spilled blood restores no homes and secures no future.”

This is the second violent incident in Al-Suqaylabiyah in just over six months. Toward the end of March, following a similar altercation, a group of men entered the village at night and attacked shops, businesses, and people. Security forces were eventually called in, and order was restored.

ACN continues to follow the situation closely through its local partners and asks for prayers for Syria.



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Cardinal Parolin denounces Christian persecution in UN speechThe Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Par...
10/07/2026

Cardinal Parolin denounces Christian persecution in UN speech

The Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, strongly denounced the persecution that Christians are subjected to in many parts of the world, in a speech made on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Speaking at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, Cardinal Parolin said that “tragically, Christians in many parts of the world continue to suffer discrimination, violence, and outright persecution simply because of their faith. Churches are attacked, communities displaced, and individuals killed or imprisoned.”

“While condemning all forms of religious discrimination, the Holy See raises its voice on behalf of these brothers and sisters, not in a spirit of exclusive advocacy, but because the defense of any one community’s freedom strengthens the freedom of all. Silence in the face of such suffering would be a betrayal of the Church’s mission and of the universal human rights the international community has pledged to uphold,” the Cardinal said.

Religious Freedom is a central tenet for pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Besides publishing the Religious Freedom in the World Report (RFR), the foundation has also launched a petition calling on respect for religious freedom as a fundamental right, and not a privilege.

According to the 2025 edition of the RFR, more than 5.4 billion people — almost two-thirds of humanity — live in countries where religious freedom is not fully guaranteed. The report identifies serious violations in 62 countries: 24 classified as persecution and 38 as discrimination.

ACN estimates that around 220 million Christians live in regions where they are in immediate danger of suffering persecution, although not all Christians in a given country face the same levels of hardship.

The Holy See is not a fully-fledged member of the United Nations, but instead holds the status of Permanent Observer State, entitling it to participate in debates and assemblies, make motions, and sit in the General Assembly, but not to vote or sponsor resolutions.

Photo credit: ACN/Flavio Ianniello



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South Lebanon: Hope of return takes root among the olive treesAs the olive harvest approaches, the residents of Alma el-...
10/07/2026

South Lebanon: Hope of return takes root among the olive trees

As the olive harvest approaches, the residents of Alma el-Chaab hope to obtain permission to work their land. In testimony collected by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), their parish priest, Maronite Chorbishop Maroun Ghafari, describes the daily reality of a dispersed community trying to prepare for its return.

For the villagers, the return of peace is inseparable from the hope of being able to return home. Some were even able to revisit the village briefly during the summer.

Thanks to a coordinated effort involving several organizations and local stakeholders, weekly visits were organized in July and August. Around 50 people were able to participate in supervised convoys. The joy of seeing their homes again was sometimes mixed with the pain of witnessing the damage.

“Between a smile and a tear, these visits summarize part of what we are living through,” says Fr. Ghafari.

After more than six months of displacement, financial difficulties are immense. Food, rent, school fees, and medicine represent major burdens. Public assistance remains limited, and food parcel distributions to the poorest families are becoming increasingly rare, explains the Maronite chorbishop.

The parish is working with the village crisis committee to obtain support, even if only partial, for school pupils and university students. As for ACN, the pontifical foundation continues to support families in the region, particularly through programs that help children remain in education.



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Pope Leo XIV opens global week of prayer for peace with hundreds of childrenThe Holy Father joined the “One Million Chil...
10/02/2026

Pope Leo XIV opens global week of prayer for peace with hundreds of children

The Holy Father joined the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative, promoted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), in the Vatican Gardens.

Pope Leo XIV joined hundreds of children at the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens on Thursday, October 1, to pray the Rosary for peace, launching a global week of prayer as part of “One Million Children Praying the Rosary,” an international initiative promoted by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

“I am truly happy to be with you,” said the Holy Father as he addressed the children. Leo XIV explicitly thanked ACN “for having promoted this initiative and for the great work it does,” before inviting those present to ask together for a special gift: “peace for all the children of the world, especially for those who live where there is war.”

The initiative runs from October 1 to 7 and unites children, families, schools, parishes, and communities around the world in a single prayer.

The Pope made it clear to the children gathered in Rome that this initiative has a global scope.

“This evening and during these days, it is not just us praying. Throughout the world, a million children are praying with us. A million!” he stated.

Leo XIV invited them to imagine “fifty million Hail Marys” rising to heaven “from everywhere and in all the languages of the earth,” united like a great Rosary crown encompassing continents, peoples, and nations.



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‘ACN is a charity of love,’ says outgoing international ecclesiastical assistantAfter more than three years, Fr. Anton L...
10/02/2026

‘ACN is a charity of love,’ says outgoing international ecclesiastical assistant

After more than three years, Fr. Anton Lässer is stepping down from his position as ecclesiastical assistant to Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN). Fr. Lässer, a 65-year-old from Austria, was asked by his superiors to return to the service of the Passionist Congregation. As of October 1, he will be replaced by Fr. Friedrich Bechina, 60, who is also Austrian but comes from the Spiritual Family “The Work.”

The role of the Ecclesiastical Assistant is to foster and strengthen the spiritual life at every level of ACN, to provide spiritual guidance and oversight, to promote ecclesial communion, and to represent the Church and her pastoral authority within the day-to-day life and work of the charity. As a pontifical foundation, this spiritual and ecclesial dimension is fundamental to ACN’s identity, mission, and activity.

As he prepares for his next mission, Fr. Lässer shared what he learned from his experience:

“When I had the opportunity to come to know ACN from within and began making my first project trips, I was deeply impressed and, at the same time, pleasantly surprised to see how concretely the Church, through ACN, reaches even the most remote areas, offering assistance to alleviate suffering and to bring the salvation found in Christ. I was particularly moved by the steadfast generosity and willingness to help shown by so many of our benefactors, as well as by the personal way in which ACN accompanies its project partners throughout the world."

“Many of our benefactors are not wealthy themselves, and yet they faithfully contribute a small amount each month to support the work of ACN and pray for their suffering brothers and sisters in the faith. This is precisely what makes this charity so special: it is sustained by a love that is rooted in faith and expressed in action – by people who genuinely take the needs and suffering of others to heart."

Fr. Friedrich Bechina, who is also Austrian, joins ACN International following two decades of service in the Congregation for Catholic Education (currently the Dicastery of Culture and Education) in Rome. Although he is new to the job of ecclesiastical assistant, he has known and worked with ACN for years.



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Holy Land: “Living space for Christians is getting smaller and smaller”The Christian presence in the Holy Land is under ...
10/01/2026

Holy Land: “Living space for Christians is getting smaller and smaller”

The Christian presence in the Holy Land is under threat, according to Father Bernard Poggi, rector of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s seminary in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. At the same time, hope among Christians remains strong and the communities are still vibrant.

Fr. Poggi made these remarks during a Day of Prayer for Christians in the Middle East, organized by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Germany, in Augsburg on September 13.

Violence and intimidation, a lack of jobs, restrictions on freedom of movement, and economic hardship are increasingly depriving Christians of the possibility of remaining in their homeland.

“Nobody has to explicitly order Christians to leave the country,” Poggi said. Rather, it is the cumulative effect of many different pressures that makes staying increasingly difficult: roadblocks, inaccessible farmland, a lack of work permits, intimidation, and a lack of prospects for the future.

“When a family eventually concludes that the only way to secure a safe future for their children is to leave, then emigration is no longer a truly free decision.”

Despite the difficult situation, hope remains alive. The Christian community in the Holy Land is small and vulnerable, but it continues to keep schools, clinics, and holy sites open, while resisting giving in to hatred and despair.

“Please do not help us only to survive the next crisis,” Poggi appealed to ACN’s benefactors. “Help the Church so that the next generation can remain in the Holy Land.”



https://orlo.uk/nep8Q

Venezuela: Earthquake victims remembered “for the light they left behind”Three months after the earthquake that left tho...
09/30/2026

Venezuela: Earthquake victims remembered “for the light they left behind”

Three months after the earthquake that left thousands dead, the young people of the Diocese of La Guaira want their friends to be remembered not for the tragedy that ended their lives, but for how they lived.

On Saturday, September 26, young people and families gathered at Plaza Jerusalén in Maiquetía to celebrate the Eucharist, sing, and remember the young Catholics who died on June 24.

“They were people filled with light and life,” says Crystal Olivo, a member of the Youth Ministry and the Diocesan Secretariat for the Youth Ministry of La Guaira, to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

Crystal knows that pain in a deeply personal way. In the earthquake, she lost her two sisters —seventeen-year-old Chantal and eight-year-old Clara — as well as friends and fellow youth ministry members.

For Crystal, describing who her sisters and friends were is also part of the path that lies ahead. “What you do to pass on faith in God is what you leave behind in the hearts of others,” she says. “That is what they did: they left their souls imprinted on the hearts of everyone around them.”

Since the earthquake on June 24, ACN has accompanied the Venezuelan Church in its emergency response, particularly in La Guaira and Caracas, supporting priests, religious sisters, and pastoral workers who are working with the affected communities.



https://orlo.uk/V8uOU

A Religious Center in SyriaAzza Al-Bittar, 42, lives together with her husband and her son in Homs, where the war began ...
09/29/2026

A Religious Center in Syria

Azza Al-Bittar, 42, lives together with her husband and her son in Homs, where the war began in 2011. She tells us, “My faith was born and grew in a wounded country. I lived through the civil war, with all its devastation and instability. Then the pandemic struck, raising a great question mark over our life and death. And in 2023, as though we had not already suffered enough, the earthquake shook the ground beneath our feet.”

“I have also known liberation and resurrection. God has revealed Himself, even in the darkest moments. Each day, I brought my sufferings before God and repeated inwardly the words of the Psalm: ‘Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you!’”

Although she herself is often tired and exhausted, she nonetheless supports young people, helps with catechesis, and cares for children with disabilities. “War brings division to people, but Christ teaches us to love. So I decided to cling to my inner peace, even when it was difficult,” she says with conviction.

The Jesuits in Homs, to whom Azza owes her profound faith and inner healing, are currently setting up a center in this city deeply wounded by war. This center will be a place of inner renewal, reconciliation, and peace. All who come here will find help to gain new confidence, with all their heart, mind, and spirit. As a place of hope, it will act as a counterweight to both the despair in so many human hearts and to the profound divisions within society.

Can you help contribute to this worthy project in Syria?



https://orlo.uk/9qZ1t

Pope takes up ACN’s worldwide call to pray the Rosary for peacePope Leo XIV has called on all the faithful and Christian...
09/28/2026

Pope takes up ACN’s worldwide call to pray the Rosary for peace

Pope Leo XIV has called on all the faithful and Christian communities around the world to pray the Rosary throughout the month of October for an end to war and for peace, taking up a prayer intention that Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been promoting worldwide for more than two decades through its campaign “One Million Children Praying the Rosary.”

During the Angelus in Lourdes on Sunday, September 27, the Holy Father invited Christians “to pray the holy rosary throughout the coming month of October”, asking in particular “that wars may cease and that peace may be established.” He also encouraged concrete acts of mercy and a commitment to dialogue and reconciliation.

The Pope’s appeal comes in the immediate context of this year’s ACN initiative. ACN had invited the Holy Father to join children in praying the Rosary for peace and unity and had also proposed bringing this appeal for prayer to the wider Church.

On October 1, Pope Leo XIV will pray the Rosary with hundreds of children gathered at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens, spiritually united with children, families, schools, parishes and Christian communities around the world.

The worldwide ACN campaign will take place from October 1 to 7, culminating on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Schools, parishes, families, dioceses and prayer groups across the world are invited to take part.



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