As Sudan reels from civil war and displacement, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is standing firm with the Church and its people – empowering catechists, supporting missionaries, and helping communities hold fast to their faith.
Father Jorge Naranjo, a Spanish Comboni missionary now based in Port Sudan, recently returned to Khartoum, a city devastated by conflict, to accompany Archbishop Séamus Patrick Horgan on a papal solidarity visit. Speaking to ACN, Fr Naranjo described the dire reality: “Khartoum, once home to eight million people and 23 parishes, now has only three priests. The pastoral vacuum has given catechists a central role… They are the true pillars of the Church here.”
These catechists, many of whom are trained and sustained through ACN’s initiatives, are leading Sunday liturgies, offering spiritual care, and keeping the flame of faith alive in communities scattered across Mayo, Haj Yousif, Jabarona, and Masalma.
Archbishop Horgan’s 10-day mission, supported by ACN and facilitated by the Sudanese government, brought Pope Leo’s message of hope to Christian communities in Shendi, Omdurman, Atbara, and Port Sudan. His visit also highlighted the urgent need to protect Sudan’s Christian minority and celebrated the safe evacuation of Salesian sisters stranded in Khartoum.
Fr Naranjo affirmed: “The nuncio’s visit carried a word of encouragement from the Pope to the Sudanese people and gave hope to the community in the midst of this conflict.”
In Sudan’s darkest hour, ACN remains a lifeline – strengthening the Church, sustaining its leaders, and walking with the faithful through every trial.
