Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians to be observed this Sunday

Washington D.C., Nov 22, 2017 / 11:31 am

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced Sunday, Nov. 26 as a Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians.

"On the solemnity of Christ the King, I ask that the entire church in the United States come together in a special way for a day of prayer for persecuted Christians to express our solidarity with those who are suffering," says Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. bishops' conference.

"To focus attention on the plight of Christians and other minorities is not to ignore the suffering of others," he said. "Rather by focusing on the most vulnerable members of society, we strengthen the entire fabric of society to protect the rights of all."

The bishops' conference made the announcement in collaboration with Aid to the Church in Need, Catholic Relief Services, the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA).

In a statement announcing the day of prayer, the bishops' conference said that the Nov. 26 "Solemnity of Christ the King is a fitting time to reflect on religious freedom and Christians around the world who are being persecuted in unheard of numbers."

The day of prayer also begins a week of awareness and education, entitled "Solidarity in Suffering." The week will run Nov. 26-Dec. 3 and will use the social media hashtag #SolidarityinSuffering.
 
Parishes and other groups participating in the day and week of prayer can find resources at www.usccb.org/middle-east-Christians. Resources include education materials, suggested Mass intercessions and homily notes, logos for local use, and recommended aid agencies.

Also available at the website is Aid to the Church in Need's executive summary of "Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for their Faith 2015-2017."