“If one part [of the Body of Christ] suffers, all the parts suffer with it…” 1 Cor 12:26
“Every year over the past decade – and, in truth, for decades before this one – Christmas and Easter mark special periods of vulnerability for Christians around the world, as forces who wish to do Christians harm know that churches will be full and that the symbolic value of striking Christians on one of the holiest days of their calendar is intense.” (from cruxnow.com, Dec. 29, 2019)
Related:
IS militants behead 11 Christians in Nigeria on Christmas day (Vatican News, Dec. 27, 2019)
Christmas 2019 is no different as the Islamic State released a video on Dec. 26 which purportedly shows the decapitations of 11 Christians and the shooting death of another man in Nigeria. “The executions were merely the latest act of barbarism committed by the Islamic state in West Africa Province, which over recent months has been expanding its attacks on Christians in Nigeria as well as aid workers and security personnel.” (from cruxnow.com, Dec. 29, 2019)
Read Bishop Walkowiak’s column “We must act” (Dec. 2017 FAITH Grand Rapids magazine)
Read Pope Francis’ Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” (Vatican website)
Open Doors USA’s World Watch List
The World Watch List is an annual report on the global persecution of Christians ranking the top 50 countries where it’s most dangerous to follow Jesus. Countries are ranked by the severity of persecution of Christians, calculated by analyzing the level of violent persecution plus the pressure experienced in five spheres of life. Nigeria is ranked 12th on the World Watch List.
Support persecuted Christians
Pray
Pray daily for persecuted Christians around the world.
Prayer from the (Knights of Columbus | Intercessions from the USCCB | Prayer Chapel – Aid to the Church in Need)
Learn & share
Aid to the Church in Need
Open Doors USA
Under Caesar’s Sword (joint project of The University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University)
Give
Support organizations such as Catholic Relief Services, the Knights of Columbus, and Aid to the Church in Need that directly serve persecuted Christians is various ways.
Contact:
Maggie Walsh, diocesan social justice coordinator, [email protected] if you would like to learn more about ways to help.
