Dear Diocesan Communications Officer,

As you are sadly already aware, the global persecution of Christians is a phenomenon which is growing in its scope, in its severity and in its devastating humanitarian effects. Christians are by far the most persecuted group globally – annually, some 100,000 of our brothers and sisters in Christ lose their lives because of their profession of faith and daily some 200 million Christians endure legal and existential persecution and violence for the same. We must not only respond to this call through prayer but publicly acknowledge the extraordinary moral and spiritual value of their Christian witness.

One such powerful and effective campaign that highlights the extent of Christian persecution is the Red Wednesday initiative by Aid to the Church in Need, an initiative which has the full support of many parishes and diocese. The Red Wednesday campaign has the objective of increasing the public’s awareness of global Christian Persecution – of the sacrifice that millions of Christians around the world daily make just to identify, let alone practice, their faith as Christians.

In this light, I ask you all to remember in your prayers and plans the success of the Red Wednesday initiative on Wednesday 28th November. I ask you all to take a moral lead in proclaiming solidarity with the suffering and persecuted Church, particularly in the Middle East – where Christians continue to be martyred with near impunity and who have died proclaiming a faith or vocation that we, by the Grace of God, are blessed to live freely daily. In their recent meeting on 9th November 2018, the Holy Father Francis, along with His Holiness Mar Gewargis III, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East issued a common statement saying….“We wish to affirm yet again that it is not possible to imagine the Middle East without Christians.”

There are many ways that we can acknowledge the sacrifice of the martyrs for the Catholic faith. We ask you to kindly consider undertaking the following actions as your parishes public witness to the Christian faith and commitment to religious freedom this Red Wednesday 28th November:

• Illuminating your Churches in red (red lighting filters are available to purchase through )
• Wearing red items of clothing
• Praying for the suffering and persecuted Church (Prayer service attached)
• Preach about the suffering of Christians in our world (Homily notes attached)
• Supporting Aid to the Church in Need in their absolutely vital work to the most destitute and beleaguered           Christians on the planet

As Communications officer in your diocese, I kindly ask you to share the details of this solidarity campaign with parishes in your diocese and on your diocesan website and social media platforms.
You might also like to capture images of some of the parishes that illuminate their churches and share on your diocesan media platforms. It can be a very thought provoking and sobering sight for people.

Thank you in advance for your interest in our work and we ask you to keep us in your prayers.

God Bless,

Hannah Evans
Director of Communications and Public Affairs, ACN Ireland