At the heart of ACN’s mission is ensuring continuous support for missionaries and the faithful in different parts of the world where the Church is poor, persecuted, suffering or in pastoral need. One of the most important and effective ways this has been achieved through the years has been through the gift of Mass offerings from our generous benefactors.
CRTN Trip to Burkina Faso, September 2021
Celebrating the 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), at the invitation of the Holy Father Pope Francis, in Bobo-Dioulasso on 26 September 2021.
Last year, a total of 52,879 priests, in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, received support in the form of mass offerings. These numbers mean that approximately one in every eight priests in the world benefited from this aid, but also that every 15 seconds a Mass is celebrated somewhere in the world for the intentions of ACN benefactors who make this work possible.
In many regions today, the faithful are so poor that they cannot support their priests. Even the bishops often lack the financial means to provide their priests with regular support. In fact, for priests in the poorest countries of the world, Mass offerings are often their sole means of support and vital to their very survival. Basic necessities such as shoes, medication and even food would otherwise be unaffordable.
Most of the priests not only use Mass offerings for their own subsistence, but are also able to cover some of the costs of their pastoral activities with them. These offerings actually make it possible for the priests to carry out their pastoral work and without this aid, these Priests would not be able to carry out their mission work.
This “Thank You Note” from Fr. Ignatius of the Diocese of Kumbo, Cameroun gives a clear picture:
“I write to sincerely thank you for the continuous support you have been giving to my community through the mass stipends you have been sending to us. This has greatly helped to put food on our table, support our transport to the suburbs to better evangelize and provide structures to communities without houses of worship. We remain grateful and we pray God may continue to replenish the source from which you get the means to provide for us.”
Archbishop Volodymyr from Ukraine also wrote: “Your Mass stipends are a tremendous help to all our priests in need. You can’t imagine how important and necessary your Mass stipends are for our priests in these difficult days! On behalf of all our priests in need, we thank you for your very great help and your solidarity with our clergy!” –
With every Mass offering you give through ACN, you are making a real difference in the lives of Priests and poor christian communities around the world. Give a Mass offering today.
