Wikipedia

Draft:Aid to the Church in Need USA

  • Comment: We don't need promotional mission statements. Theroadislong (talk) 18:20, 20 December 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: More secondary sources are needed to show notability. -- NotCharizard 🗨 07:14, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

Aid to the Church in Need USA is the American branch of the international Catholic pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which supports Christians experiencing religious persecution and provides humanitarian aid worldwide. Founded in 1947 by Dutch priest Werenfried van Straaten,[1] ACN operates in over 149 countries across Africa,[2] Asia,[3] Latin America,[4] and the Middle East.[5]

The organization has over 364,000 donors and funds more than 5,000 projects annually. It maintains a close relationship with the Holy See and has been recognized for its work, receiving the 2019 Path to Peace Award from the Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations.[6]

History

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Originally named Aid to the Eastern Priests, ACN's initial focus was on providing material and pastoral aid to refugees from Eastern Europe following World War II. The organization expanded its reach throughout the Cold War, assisting persecuted Christians in Soviet countries and later in Africa and Asia. In response to rising violence against Christians in the Middle East, ACN increased its presence in the region and launched emergency campaigns like the one aiding Iraqi Christians displaced by ISIS in 2014.[7]

Mission and Activities

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ACN's core mission is twofold:

  • To support the Church wherever Christians are persecuted
  • To provide practical aid to people in need

The organization supports a wide range of projects, including:

  • Financial assistance for religious brothers, sisters, and seminarians[8]
  • Construction and repair of churches and church buildings[9]
  • Funding for training programs in monasteries and convents[10]
  • Humanitarian aid for countries in crisis[11]
  • Financial assistance for struggling priests (e.g., Mass stipends)[12]
  • Support for Catholic radio and TV stations[13]
  • Financial assistance for parish programs[14]
  • Publication and distribution of religious literature[15]
  • Purchase of vehicles for pastoral work[16]

Impact

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ACN releases an annual Activity Report detailing its projects and achievements.[17] The 2023 report highlights funding for over 5,700 projects, including nearly 1.9 million Mass stipends and the purchase of 1,253 vehicles for pastoral work.[18] Africa and the Middle East receive significant aid, with additional support directed towards war-torn Ukraine in recent years.[19]

Publications

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ACN publishes several reports that contribute to the understanding of religious freedom around the world:

  • Religious Freedom Report (biannual)[20]: This report highlights cases of persecution in various countries.
  • Persecuted and Forgotten Report (triennial)[21]: This report provides a regional analysis of religious freedom violations.

Initiatives

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ACN organizes several awareness campaigns, including:

  • Red Week: An annual international event raising awareness of Christian persecution[22]
  • One Million Children Praying the Rosary: A global day of prayer for peace involving children[23]
  • Child's Bible: An illustrated children's Bible translated into over 193 languages[24]

Governance and Structure

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ACN is a pontifical foundation recognized by the Holy See. Its governance structure and leadership details can be found on the official ACN website.

References

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  1. ^ Peachey, Roy (2020-04-26). "After the Crisis: Encouragement from the Bacon Priest". Catholic World Report. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  2. ^ "Africa News". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  3. ^ "Asia News". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  4. ^ "Latin America News". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  5. ^ "Middle East News". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  6. ^ "The Path to Peace Foundation". The Path to Peace Foundation. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  7. ^ "Mosul Christians still suffering 10 years after ISIS occupation". Crux. 2024-06-18. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  8. ^ "Aid for Religious". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  9. ^ "Construction". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  10. ^ "Formation". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  11. ^ "Humanitarian Aid". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  12. ^ "Mass Stipends". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  13. ^ "Media Apostolate". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  14. ^ "Pastoral Aid". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  15. ^ "Religious Literature". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  16. ^ "Transportation". Church in Need. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  17. ^ "Activity Report 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  18. ^ "Activity Report 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  19. ^ "Activity Report 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  20. ^ "Religious Freedom in the World Report 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  21. ^ "Report Shows Christian Persecution Worsening Worldwide". Persecution - International Catholic Concern. 2024-10-24. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  22. ^ Kelly, Michael (2024-11-16). "Red Wednesday to put Christian persecution in the spotlight". Catholic Review. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  23. ^ Christian, Gina (2024-10-09). "Faith of children, power of prayer combine in million-strong rosary". Franciscan Media. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  24. ^ "Distribution of Bibles". ACN International. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
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