Bishop Tom Neylon, Lead Bishop for Asia for the Bishops’ Conference, has recently returned from a week-long trip to Pakistan with Aid to the Church in Need.
Visiting from 9-16th March, Bishop Neylon visited a number of projects funded by the charity and met with the faithful, priests and bishops in the major cities of Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad.
Making reference to the fact that Church
attendance in Pakistan is very strong, Bishop Neylon received a warm welcome and explained how, at one Friday afternoon Mass in Rawalpindi, there were over 1,000 worshipers in the cathedral with many more outside unable to get in.
“The Church is very strong. It’s very much a minority – between one and two percent of the population would be Christian/Catholic and there are other minority faiths and religions in the country as well. Even though there are a small number of Catholics, in terms of the attendance at church – the place was full…
“So, given the environment in which they live, where there can be discrimination of minorities, and well-documented cases where there’s been violence or even killings associated with places of worship, people make a deliberate choice to say, ‘Yes, I want to live my faith. I want to practise my faith. I want to share my faith with my children’.”
“The education for young people, for young adults as well, [is very important] to try and lift them out of poverty, to seek
qualifications to get them into the civil service, so they’re able then to join the wider community in serving Pakistan’s society through the civil service network.” He also praised the Catholic Church for delivering education and healthcare services that provide for wider society and not just their own community.
To read more and to hear the Catholic News interview with Bishop Tom click here.
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Ukraine Appeal
Soup kitchen survives shelling
Brother Franciszek Grzelka, superior general of the Albertine Order, alerted ACN to the death and destruction near the Order’s house in Zaporizhzhia, south-east Ukraine.
Before the war began, 150 people used the Order’s soup kitchen but the number of people depending on the Brothers for food has now grown to more than 1,000.
Since the war started, the brothers in Poland have been transporting food and other vital supplies – including generators and medical aid – to Ukraine. Give today to help us continue our mission of love and support for those in need.
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ACN Shop:
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First Holy Communion marks an important moment in the faith journey of Catholics everywhere. With the time when many children make their First Holy Communion upon us, it’s not too late to select a lovely gift. Why not head to the ACN shop for our brand new line of Communion gifts.
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ACN Schools and Parishes:
Maisy Milk Rosary for Peace and Plant Pot sale
– calling schools and parishes!
ACN’s Maisy Milk believes in the milk of human kindness. Will your school or parish children’s group take up our Spring challenge to raise funds for food and essentials for needy children and their families in Syria, Nigeria and Ukraine? This May – the month of Our Lady – we are also calling on children to learn and pray the Rosary for Peace – food for the soul, as well as the body! You can find out more about Maisy's Plant Pot Sale and fundraising resources, and sign up, here. Why not also investigate and share our Schools Team resources – fully referenced to This is Our Faith (Scotland) and the Religious Education Directory (England and Wales).
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