MEDIA ADVISORY: U.S. Bishops Mark Nov. 26 as Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians

WASHINGTON—The USCCB in collaboration with the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Relief Services, theCatholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and Aid to the Church in Need announcethe observance this Sunday, November 26, as A Day of Prayer forPersecuted Christians.

November 21, 2017

WASHINGTON—The USCCB in collaboration with the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Relief Services, theCatholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and Aid to the Church in Need announcethe observance this Sunday, November 26, as A Day of Prayer forPersecuted Christians. The Day of Prayer also initiates "Solidarityin Suffering," a Week of Awareness and Education that runs from November26-December 3. The Day of Prayer on the Solemnity of Christ the King, isa fitting time to reflect on religious freedom and Christians around the worldwho are being persecuted in unheard of numbers.  

"On the solemnity of Christ the King, I ask thatthe entire church in the United States come together in a special way for a dayof prayer for persecuted Christians to express our solidarity with those whoare suffering," says Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Presidentof the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, during his annual address tobishops. In a statement to bishops, the cardinal added, "To focus attention onthe plight of Christians and other minorities is not to ignore the suffering ofothers. Rather by focusing on the most vulnerable members of society, westrengthen the entire fabric of society to protect the rights of all."

To support the observance of the Day of Prayer andWeek of Awareness, a wide array of resources are available to assist parishes,schools and campus ministries. One of those resources is the Executive Summaryof "Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for theirFaith 2015-2017". The report was made available to all bishops duringthe November Plenary Assembly, courtesy of Aid to the Church in Need. Electronic copies of the report are now available at www.usccb.org/middle-east-Christians.

Additional resources on the site include:

  • ActionAlert: Help Persecuted Christians/Religious Minorities in the Middle East
  • HomilyNotes
  • Intercessions
  • RecommendedAid Agencies
  • Backgroundon Catholic Churches in the Middle East
  • Backgroundon Christians of the Middle East
  • EducationMaterials
  • Video:Religious Freedom and Christians in the Middle East
  • Logos forLocal use (English and Spanish)

For social media, we are using the hashtag: #SolidarityInSuffering. 

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Knights ofColumbus, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the Catholic Near East WelfareAssociation (CNEWA), Aid to the Church in Need, Day of Prayer, persecutedChristians, solemnity Christ the King, Week of Awareness, Cardinal Daniel N.DiNardo, oppression, Christianity, prayer.

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

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