WASHINGTON—The USCCB in collaboration with the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Relief Services, the
Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and Aid to the Church in Need announce
the observance this Sunday, November 26, as A Day of Prayer for
Persecuted Christians. The Day of Prayer also initiates “Solidarity
in Suffering,” a Week of Awareness and Education that runs from November
26-December 3. The Day of Prayer on the 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.

“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. Conference of Catholic Bishops, during his annual address to
bishops. In a statement to bishops, the cardinal added, “To focus attention on
the plight of Christians and other minorities is not to ignore the suffering of
others. Rather by focusing on the most vulnerable members of society, we
strengthen the entire fabric of society to protect the rights of all.”

To support the observance of the Day of Prayer and
Week of Awareness, a wide array of resources are available to assist parishes,
schools and campus ministries. One of those resources is the Executive Summary
of “Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for their
Faith 2015-2017”. The report was made available to all bishops during
the 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:

Action
Alert: Help Persecuted Christians/Religious Minorities in the Middle EastHomily
NotesIntercessionsRecommended
Aid AgenciesBackground
on Catholic Churches in the Middle EastBackground
on Christians of the Middle East Education
MaterialsVideo:
Religious Freedom and Christians in the Middle EastLogos for
Local use (English and Spanish)

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

—
Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Knights of
Columbus, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the Catholic Near East Welfare
Association (CNEWA), Aid to the Church in Need, Day of Prayer, persecuted
Christians, 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

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops