Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will from 14 June 2023 be led by Regina Lynch, a long-serving Project Director of the charity. She takes over the role of Executive Director for the next five years from Dr Thomas Heine-Geldern (71). Cardinal Mauro Piacenza remains President of the foundation, and Philipp Ozores has been confirmed as General Secretary.
The new Executive President Regina Lynch (66) originates from Northern Ireland. A literary scholar, she has worked since 1980 at the international headquarters of ACN in Königsteinim Taunus (Germany); in 2008 she took over the role of Project Director and became responsible annually for 6,000 of the charity’s projects in more than 140 countries. In over 40 years she has made numerous journeys to beneficiary countries and nurtured relationships with project partners, branches of the Church and other charities.
In her new role Regina Lynch is responsible for the basic content and the statutory leadership of the international foundation, with its 23 National Sections. She represents the foundation externally and is supported in her duties by the Administrative Council and the General Secretariat. As Executive President she reports to the Supervisory Board under the chairmanship of Cardinal Mauro Piacenza.
In 2021 she received a special appreciation of her work: as representative of ROACO (a combination of charities serving the oriental Churches) she was able to accompany Pope Francis on his trip to Iraq, where ACN has given significant support to Christians returning to the Nineveh Plains after having been driven out by ISIS.
“Regina Lynch knows and loves ACN. She enjoys the highest recognition inside and outside of the foundation. And she is a guarantor that ACN will continue to develop in the fulfilment of its mission”, said Thomas Heine-Geldern, who was Executive President from 2018, led the charity through the challenge of the growing persecution of Christians across the world and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Founded in 1947, the pontifical foundation is dedicated to the service of Christians around the world, through information, prayer and action, wherever they are persecuted or lacking in money for pastoral care. The foundation is entirely supported by private donors and does not accept public funding.