Catholic Churches Light Up Red After Thanksgiving To Honor Modern Martyrs
Catholic places of worship lit themselves in red after Thanksgiving as part of the Courage In Red campaign to honor today’s Christian martyrs.
Particular U.S. Catholic Churches across the nation will participate in Aid to the Church in Need’s worldwide first annual Courage in Red campaign for several days after Thanksgiving.
They will light up red, which Catholics hold to be the color of martyrdom, and will hold various prayer services in tribute to those who have died for their faith in Christ.
Edward Clancy, ACNUSA director of outreach, said the campaign is “designed to bring the plight of our suffering brothers and sisters more dramatically to the attention of faithful in the US,” according to a news release provided to The Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Hopefully, greater awareness will lead to greater action,” he added.
U.S. participation in the campaign began Saturday, with the Cathedral of St. Francis in New Jersey holding services to honor persecuted Christians. Those services will continue through Sunday.
The co-cathedral of St. Joseph’s in Brooklyn will also hold a special prayer service on Sunday.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. will host the main event on the evening of Nov. 28, with a vesper service at 6:30 p.m.
Witnesses to modern Christian persecution will attend, including Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, Kurdistan, whose church has served for hundreds of thousands of Christians who fled an onslaught from the Islamic State group; Sister Annie Demerjian of the Community of Jesus and Mary, who served in Aleppo, Syria; and Bishop Oliver Doeme of the Diocese of Maiduguri, Nigeria, which has been ravaged by Boko Haram.
“To express solidarity with #persecuted #Christians, including Asia Bibi, a Pakistani woman recently acquitted of #blasphemy, the city of Venice was illuminated in red light Tuesday night.”https://t.co/FepIhatfwt #Church #catholic #Église #Kościół #ChrétiensdOrient
— Richard (@Richard79612018) November 21, 2018
“Hundreds of thousands of Christians suffer various forms of persecution each year — from horrific brutality in North Korea to systemic, if more subtle, oppression in countries like India,” Clancy said.
The vespers service will be broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network.
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A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.
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