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Picture of Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helskinki leading parishioners on a prayer walk.

Priests in Finland are travelling halfway across the country to reach parishioners as there are not enough churches to meet the needs of the growing Catholic population.

The Diocese of Helsinki is the only diocese in the Nordic country and spans some 211,266 miles (340,000 kilometres).

There are eight parishes in the diocese and 28 priests for a Catholic population, which while only 0.2 percent of the 5.5 million inhabitants, are thinly spread around the country.

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ACN IN ACTION

NIGERIA APPEAL

"I was struggling to hear what the person is saying... The individual, whom I will not name for security reasons, clearly didn’t want anyone to listen in." This is a small excerpt from ACN (UK)'s John Pontifex in his latest diary entry on his trip to Nigeria which paints a picture of stifling oppression felt by the faithful in the country.

Christians are being targeted for their beliefs, as we reported last week in the story about the release of Father Alphonsus Afina who was kidnapped by Islamist terrorists. The terrifying reality is that persecution is not limited to the extreme actions of radicals, but anti-Christian discrimination runs far deeper –  not just through heinous acts but also in everyday life. 

People have been forced to change their Christian surnames to Arabic ones just to avoid discrimination in the workplace. Going to great lengths to provide for their families, Christians often undergo great trials for their love of God. Thankfully, this is an experience that many of us will never endure.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ should not have to suffer for their faith, fear for their lives, or change their name to ensure their family is fed, clothed and safe with a roof over their heads.

Please support our Nigeria Appeal and learn about the work being carried out to help the faithful through your gracious assistance. You, our amazing benefactors, are helping to change lives every single day.

ACN PODCAST

BREAK THE SILENCE

Dr Royal’s latest book, The Martyrs of the New Millennium, draws on ACN reports to tell the stories of 21st century Catholic martyrs in a compelling and heartfelt way. The sales of this book also support ACN.

ACN PRAYER

ST MICHAEL'S LENT - ARE YOU DOING IT?

ACN #TEAMRED

A BIG THANK YOU TO ST FRANCIS XAVIER, HEREFORD

With Nigeria being a focus for ACN this year, we were delighted to hear from John Cook, Parish Administrator at St Francis Xavier Church, Hereford, who says:

 “We have a growing Nigerian community who are a real blessing for our church. To support them in these troubled times, this week we held a special Mass for the persecuted church in Nigeria with six priests concelebrating and Swansea-based Fr Jude Akpobasa OP, originally from Nigeria, as chief concelebrant. We were wonderfully led by some beautiful singing from the Nigerian choir, and there was a very good turnout of over 100 other parishioners. Afterwards, in the hall, we had a shared Nigerian supper and a short talk on different aspects of life in Nigeria. All in all, it was a marvellous celebration.”

This is a fantastic example of UK support for the persecuted Church and fantastic to hear that St Francis Xavier parish will be supporting #RedWednesday this autumn. We would love to give a shout-out to all parishes getting involved. And don’t forget: all funds raised for #RedWednesday by parishes and individuals will be doubled thanks to our Matched Challenge!

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