Aid to the Church in Need

WEAR RED
Wear RED, light RED, and Get ready to stand up for FAITH & FREEDOM ON Red Wednesday 28th November.
The ACN group began that evening with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in Mount Carmel Church 6pm-7pm. We started off by saying the Rosary and the Litany to Our Blessed Mother for PEACE and it ended with the Evening Office of the Church. It was indeed wonderful to see 4 parishioners, besides our group, attending. The evening was very spiritual with time for reflection in front of the Sacrament and to send our prayers to God for our persecuted brothers and sisters worldwide. The outside of the church was lit up in red and all of us wore an item of clothing in red to show that we are standing up for our faith.
Freedom to believe— or not to believe—is a fundamental human right. Today, however, Christians and many others around the world face threats, persecution, torture and death for their faith.

Current Work

Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church supporting Catholics and other Christians where they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.
To find out more please visit the Aid to the Church in Need website.

The House of Commons voted on 21st April 2016 to recognize the persecution of Christians and Yazigis and other minorities by ISIS as genocide. The following motion was resolved by voting 278-0 :
"That this House believes that Christians, Yazidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria are suffering genocide at the hands of Daesh; and calls on the Government to make an immediate referral to the UN Security Council with a view to conferring jurisdiction upon the International Criminal Court so that perpetrators can be brought to justice."

Archbishop of Birmingham, Bernard Longley in Lent 2015, in response to Christians who were being persecuted, asked parishes to raise funds for Aid to the Church in Need to help refugees in Syria and Iraq saying "[it is] a practical way in which we can assist those who are caught up in the horrific situation". In response to the Archbishop's appeal the Parish set up an Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) society.
If you would like to join ACN in the parish please contact the parish office or Andrew Farrell on 07767831548 or talk to one of the priests.

The Annual Sponsored Walk for 2016 took place on SUNDAY JULY 24th. The walk began after the 8:15am mass and went go around the Arrow Valley Lake and back to the Church Garden for refreshments.

THANK YOU so much for your kindness and generosity to all who took part in the sponsored walk on July 26th July - those who made the walk, raised money, organized it and made donations. A grand total of £1,811 was raised.

Photo: courtesy of Joshua

As can be seen from the group photo of the walkers and some of their dogs they braved the 'intemperate temperate' British summer as they walked around Arrow Valley. They did have a 'pit-stop' for a hot chocolate and returned to the Parish Church for tea and biscuits. Hopefully this community event will be the first of an annual sponsored walk.

The new Saints from Palestine, Ss. Mariam Baouardy and Marie Ghattas were the Patrons for our sponsored walk. It is wonderful to invoke their prayers before the altar of God.

"An angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." Revelation 8:3-4.

Prayer Meetings

The society meets at regular intervals to plan fund raising activities. In addition the society has a prayer meeting, once a month, in the Parish Church.
ALL WELCOME!
Weds 17th Aug 6.00pm
Weds 14th Sep 6.00pm
Weds 12th Oct 6.00pm
Weds 16th Nov 6.00pm
Weds 14th Dec 6.00pm
For the latest ACN newsletter CLICK HERE.

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Pope Francis on prayer:
"As a Catholic, do I live the unity of the Church? Or doesn’t it concern me because I am closed within my own small group or within myself? Am I one of those who “privatize” the Church to their own group, their own country or their own friends? ... Do I pray for my brother, for my sister who is in difficulty because they confess and defend their faith? It is important to look beyond our own boundaries, to feel that we are Church, one family in God!"

PRAYER FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS:
Father in heaven, you make your sun shine on good and bad alike. Your Son Jesus Christ died for us all and in his glorious Resurrection he still retains the five wounds of his Passion. With his divine power he now sustains all those who suffer persecution and martyrdom for the sake of their fidelity to the faith of the Church. May persecuted Christians around the world remain, like Mary, their Mother, together at the foot of the cross of Christ the Martyr. Comfort those menaced by violence and those oppressed by uncertainty. May you Holy Spirit of love make fruitful the witness of the blood of those who die forgiving. Amen.