The family and the priesthood are rooteddirectly in the mystery of God and orderedto each other. Their vocation and missionis to transmit the Faith, and therefore life,to the coming generations. These two pri-mary building blocks of the Church arechallenged and threatened more than evertoday. They risk losing the lifeof faith and grace for whichthey were created. So it is nowboth urgent and necessary torevive and revivify this faith inboth these primary cells.

It is for this reason that the Holy FatherBenedict XVI has proclaimed a Year ofFaith beginning in October 2012, whichwill, in some ways, continue the Year forPriests. The deepening of the Faith isclosely bound up with the renewal of thepriesthood, because priests are called to beheralds and mediators of the Faith. And afamily that prays is the cradle of priestlyvocation.

In his book Gift and Mystery, BlessedJohn Paul II described this impressive

memory of his father: “I was barely 9years old when I lost my mother. After herdeath, I was left alone with my father, adeeply religious man. Day by day I couldobserve his life, which was dignified andstrict. By profession he was a soldier, andwhen he was widowed his life became oneof constant prayer. It sometimes happenedthat I woke up in the night and found my

father kneeling on the floor, just as I hadalways seen him kneel in our parishchurch. The vocation to the priesthoodwas never discussed between us, yet forme his example was in a certain sense thefirst priestly seminary, a kind of seminaryof the home.”

Dear friends, you are helping thousands ofimpoverished seminarians and priestsaround the world to follow Jesus faithfully– through your prayers and through yourgifts. You have become their spiritual fam-

1

ily and you are helping them to believe intheir priesthood. The shortest prayer,which springs from the same linguisticroot as the word for faith – is the Hebrewword “Amen.” We say it every time we re-ceive Holy Communion. It means thesteadfastness, reliability and faithfulnessof God towards us, but it also expresses allour trust and our devotion towards God.

Our “Amen” to the EucharisticLord is also an “Amen” to themystery of the priesthood, tothe mystery of the family andof the Church, which is HisBody. Many priests, and manyfamilies, are being tested in

their faith by poverty and need; they needour love to help them remain faithful totheir vocation.

I wish you every Easter grace and joy andextend to you and your families my heart-felt blessing.

Father Martin M. BartaEcclesiastical Assistant

A family that praysis the cradle of thepriestly vocation.

“Holy Orders and Matrimonyare traced to the sole source of theEucharist. Both these states of lifeshare the same root in the love ofChrist who gives Himself for

humanity’s salvation.They are calledto a common mission: to witness to,

and make present, this love...”Pope Benedict XVI

Building blocksof faith – a newlyordained priestin China blesseshis mother.

No. 3 – May 2012NewsletterPublished

eight times a year

ED/2/5/13

www.churchinneed.org

Evangelizing – always

and everywhere (Benedict XVI)

2

Seminarians

One vocation in ten depends on you

Brazil. “You are a priest forever…” –for God “will not change His mind.”

Syria. “Blessed are you when menrevile you… on My account.”

Cameroon.“... teaching them to observeall that I have commanded you.”

Slovakia. “Whoever does not bear hisown cross and come after Me...”

“... In remembrance of Me” – through thepriest, Christ remains present among us.

The number of seminarians is in-creasing in Africa and Asia, but it isfalling in Europe and in the Americas.Worldwide, the pontifical yearbookhas registered a slight increase of al-most 1%, to a total of 118,000.

“The ability to foster vocations is a hallmarkof the vitality of a local Church,” said PopeBenedict on the 48th Day of Prayer for Vo-cations. The same is true of ACN. The HolyFather is counting on you. One seminarianin every 10 around the world has youto thank for the factthat he can pursuehis vocation. How-ever, their individualneeds can vary greatly.The 30 seminarians of the Apostolic Prela-ture of Chuquibamba, in Peru, don’t haveenough for their basic needs – includingfood. Their monthly running costs come to6,117 dollars and 48 cents, and there is al-ways a short fall. We want to give $3,000 tocover the gap. InMozambique, the 134 sem-inarians of the Archdiocese of Nampula needbooks. Many shelves in their library, theirstore of spiritual and intellectual sustenance,are empty. We have promised $11,200 toprovide them with manuals and textbooks –basic nourishment for their minds and souls.This is particularly urgent as the diocese islocated in a region culturally dominated byIslam, where solid knowledge and sound ar-gument are the daily bread of interreligiousdialogue. A similar problem faces the 85seminarians, 16 novices and 40 aspirants ofthe Dominican Order in Vietnam. Their

Province is under the protection of Our Ladyand bears the distinctive name “Queen ofMartyrs.” The formation for the Order ofPreachers has always been very thorough –as indeed it is in Vietnam today. We havepromised them $130 for every Brother of theorder founded by the great Doctor of theChurch, Thomas Aquinas. From Sri Lanka,the appeal embraces both the human and thestructural dimensions. For, in the wake of theCivil War, the 83 candidates in the SaintFrancis Xavier seminary in Jaffna have littleleft but their own goodwill. In order to make

a new start, theyneed ... well actuallythey need every-thing. With your

help we can help them meet their initialneeds with a contribution of $200 for eachseminarian. And inAngola, too, where after30 years of war the religious orders and thedioceses are now experiencing a blossomingof vocations, the Church can at last look to-wards a better future. There are many newcandidates looking to us for help, so that theycan fulfill their joyful “yes” to the Lord.

And much the same could be said in Brazil,Venezuela and Colombia, and again inUkraine, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia inEastern Europe. These young men all wishto serve “in the person of Christ, the Head,”as the Second Vatican Council puts it, byministering the Sacraments and proclaimingthe Word of God. It cannot be done withoutthem. But their call to serve God is also a callfor us to help them. Let us respond with anenthusiasm that stirs and inspires! •

Vocations – a sign of thevitality of the Church

Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar projects, and enable the pastoral work of Aid to the Church in Need.

3

For Saint Augustine, love is the“firstmovement of the will,” the source ofexistence. In marriage and the familythe reality of love comes to life.Thatis why the German poet Novalis saysthat “Children are love made visible.”For in them the mystery of creationis renewed.

This connection between Creator, love andhuman nature is universally valid. But it isnot immediately obvious to people today;rather it must be learnt. And so, in the Dio-cese of Bouar in Central Africa, FatherMarcello Bartolomei has established a“School of Life and Love” to help youngpeople prepare for and live the lifetimepartnership of Christian marriage. It isproving a success. Faustine had problems.“My daughter became pregnant, and myhusband blamed me and sent our daughter

to live with her mother-in-law. It was onlyas a result of the marriage course that wegot back on good terms and brought ourdaughter home.” Caroline had been on thepill. “While at the course, I realized what itmeant; I stopped taking it and now I usenatural methods. Now we live in harmony.”Tatiana rediscovered “her dignity as ahousewife” while at the course, and as forDaniel, he is quite clear: “If I find a womanwho can put up with me, then we’ll getmarried in church.” You are helping to fundthese courses, with a grant of $9,500.

In the Diocese of Natitingou in Benin,Bishop Pascal N’koue runs three-year train-ing courses for couples, who will then passon the teaching of the Church about sex-uality, marriage and the family to others intheir parishes. The courses are very popu-lar. The couples are enthusiastic, he writes,

Pakistan.“Marriage is the most intimateform of friendship.” (Pope Paul VI)

Central Africa. Christian marriage haslessons to learn, as here in Bouar.

India. Embarking on the pilgrimage oflife, with the blessing of the Church.

Familyaposto

late

For nothing less than the future of the world

For the media it’s just a passing hor-ror story: a bloody attack leavesmanydead.Then silence again.But for the Christians in northern Nigeria,the persecution is real and continuing – hun-dreds have died since Christmas and tens ofthousands of refugees flooding southwards,to relative safety. But in Jos, in central Nige-ria, the seminarians are staying put. LikeSaint Peter, they say, “Lord, to whom shallwe go? You have themessage of eternal life”(Jn. 6:68). They are staying on, like theCatholic faithful who, despite the terrorist

Islamist Boko Haram group, continue tillingtheir fields and living alongside their Mus-lim neighbors. But the meager collectionsthe seminarians depend on are miniscule.“The threats by Boko Haram are a heavycross for us to bear,” writes Bishop Dashe,adding modestly, “We would be most grate-ful if you could help us.” They are remainingin Jos, because this is where the Lord hascalled them to be, here in Nigeria. Here theywill celebrate Easter, the Resurrection, thedefeat of death. Compared to such faith, it isour aid of $13,200 which appears modest.•

The seminarians of Jos

and keen “to lay bare the lies with whichthe media are trying to divide our families.”You are helping this bishop with a contri-bution of $11,200 annually. And it is notonly in Africa that you are helping to en-lighten people, in the broadest sense, as tothe truths of Catholic teaching on marriageand the family. In Latin America, Asia andEurope as well you are supporting pro-grams, courses and initiatives – faithful tothe words of Blessed John Paul II, whosaid, “The future of the world passes byway of the family.” •

Discerning God’s call – seminarians inJos, Nigeria.

Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar projects, and enable the pastoral work of Aid to the Church in Need.

JohannesFreiherrHeereman,Executive Presidentof ACN International

4

Thanksgiving for a lucky escapeDriving on the motorway, my traileroverturned. I was scared to death. ThankGod nothing happened! In gratitude I amsending 1,000 Swiss Francs to ACN inthe hope that it will help ease the plight ofthose who cannot live their faith freely.

A businessman from Switzerland

Sisterly solidarityMy sister always used to support ACN.She died in 2008, and I felt that I shouldcontinue to support you in her place.Since then I have been sending you do-nations – small ones, but from my heart.I am sending you 1,000 Brazilian Reals,and I would also like to buy some books.The information in the Mirror has mademe very much more aware, and I pray toGod that he may send this charity moreand more benefactors.

A benefactress in Brazil

Expanding horizonsYour work on behalf of the Church in needmakes the Light of Christ constantly shineout anew. Directing our gaze towards thepersecuted and oppressed Christians is animportant way of expanding the horizonsof every individual believer.

A benefactress in Austria

Heralding the truthI am a Catholic from Ghana and I wantto congratulate you for the good worksyou are doing. I have a copy of the cate-chism I Believe and it’s really helping meknow more about the Church. I must saythat my faith has really grown stronger inthe Lord and I have found a lot of peaceand love deep down within myself.Thanks to you all who have dedicatedyourselves to herald and spread the truthof our Lord and His Church.

A benefactor fromGhana

Need, love and thanks – Your letters

Father Febian PikitiMulenga, the rector ofthe seminary inLusaka, Zambia, was“profoundly shocked”when he saw the sumin their account.“Thismust have been sentto us in error.” He toldhis colleagues andasked Sister Luzia to“sort it out.”You can imagine his joy when Sister Luzia told him, no, every-thing was in order; the money ($32,900) was from ACN. His spontaneous re-action was a prayer of thanksgiving. For the money had come at a time whenthe rector was at his wits’ end as to how to get to the end of the term with his162 seminarians, as the coffers were empty. Now he says thank you “from arelieved heart” – and on behalf of all the students and staff of the seminary– for this timely help. For all of them it is “a blessing, and at the same timean incentive” to study still harder.

DDeeaarr FFrriieennddss,, I have only been in office for a fewmonths and I have learnt so muchalready. The numerous meetingswith cardinals and bishops from theMiddle East, Africa, Asia, SouthAmerica and Eastern Europe havetaught me one thing: the term ‘dig-nitaries’ is well applied to these pas-tors of the faithful – not becausethey hold high office but becausethey truly embody the dignity ofChrist in the way they devote theirlives to the service of the poorest. Intheir desire to ease the spiritual andphysical distress of those under theircare they are willing to take im-mense burdens on their shoulders.What grace it is to be able to helpthem shoulder their load with yourdonations and our service! For us,what springs from this is the obliga-tion to handle the gifts you have en-trusted to us with the greatestpossible economy and efficiency.This includes selecting carefullyfrom the almost 7,000 project re-quests we receive annually – ofwhich, sadly, we can only approveabout two thirds. It also means en-suring a strict and prudent admin-istration to carefully supervise thebest use of your donations. We strivecontinually to fulfill these obliga-tions, so that your generosity cantruly help where the need of theChurch is greatest.

Publisher: Kirche in Not/Ostpriesterhilfe, Aid to the Church in Need, International Headquarters,Postfach 1209, 61452 Königstein, Germany; www.acn-intl.org;Editor-in-chief: Jürgen Liminski De licentia competentis auctoritatis ecclesiasticae Printed in the USA – ISSN 0252-2535

Leave a legacy of your love when writing or changing your will.

5

Bishop Salas puts his trust in MaryFamily apost

olate

“The family that prays together,stays together.” This wise counselwas again passed on to us by PopeJohn Paul II in his Apostolic Letteron the Holy Rosary. And where thereis prayer, there are also people whowalk the path of peace.

Bishop Pablo Emiro Salas Anteliz of Es-pinal, in Colombia, treasures these wisewords. In fact he has built his family apos-tolate upon it. The basic idea is a simpleone: in his diocese there are many childrenin great danger. Their schools are utterlyneglected, the walls cracked, the roofsleaking; and the educational system itselfis no better. Moreover, the rebels continueto come and abduct the youngsters, forc-ing them to bear arms and using them ascannon fodder in their battles. Almostevery family mourns its losses to these

paramilitary groups. The best weaponagainst such dangers is the solidarity,within the family and within the commu-nity, of love, faith formation and prayer.This sort of integral education, in a trulyChristian sense, can lead to justice andpeace.

This is exactly what Pope Benedict XVIsays in his message for the World Day ofPeace 2012. For the young men andwomen of today, he says, it is “more thanever indispensable to learn the value andthe way of peaceful coexistence, mutualrespect, dialogue and understanding.” Thisrequires a “sound formation of con-science,” he adds, which can enable them

“to fight always and only by trusting in thepower of truth and goodness.” It is an edu-cation “that begins in the family and con-tinues in the schools.” In this way they candevelop into men and women who are“genuinely peaceable and peacemakers.”This is the goal. In order to achieve itBishop Pablo Salas is relying on ACN, inthe shape of the Child’s Bible, the Rosarybook for children and the little catechism I Believe. He is particularly taken with theRosary booklet, in fact, which is not sur-prising as this is a particularly Marian dio-cese. More than 50 of its 56 parishes arededicated to Our Lady and the cathedral it-self is consecrated to Our Lady of the HolyRosary.

Bishop Pablo wants as many families aspossible to have a Child’s Bible, a Rosarybooklet and a little catechism. He believesthat the catechism will also help young cou-ples to prepare for marriage; many of themin fact will afterwards work in the parishesas catechists. Most of these catechists meettogether once a month to pray for peace andunity within families. In his address to theDiplomatic Corps, Pope Benedict XVIspoke of the primary importance of “thefamily, based on the marriage of a man anda woman. This is not a simple social con-vention, but rather the fundamental buildingblock of every society.” Bishop Pablo Salashas enshrined this truth in his family apos-tolate. He has put his trust in Our Lady andis now putting the Holy Father’s words intopractical effect in his diocese. And you arehelping him to do so. •

Many children are in great danger.

Bishop Pablo Emiro Salas Anteliz –families are a priority for him.

The bishop and his team – and the resources you have supplied to help them.

Church and family –learning the way ofpeace in Espinal,Colombia.

Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar projects, and enable the pastoral work of Aid to the Church in Need.

6

His grandmother taught him to prayRussi

a

Nothing in his background wouldhave suggested that David would oneday be testing his vocation to theCatholic priesthood. His father wasnot a Christian, his mother was bap-tized but not believing. Yet today this29-year-old Azerbaijani is a seminar-ian in Saint Petersburg.

There are only some 400 Catholics living inAzerbaijan today, most of them foreigners.Only a fraction of them are native to thisMuslim-majority country. “And I am one ofthem,” says David proudly. Even as a childhe already knew the Our Father, for hisgrandmother taught it him when he was stilllittle. “She was a woman of deep faith,” herecalls. She was the only one who spoke tohim about God. At that time what he lovedmost was to read his Child’s Bible. It wasn’tuntil many years later that he first visited aCatholic church, the first one to be built inBaku, over a decade after the collapse of the

Soviet Union. When he was baptized as aCatholic in 2003 his parents were horrified.“They reacted very negatively, indeed out-right aggressively,” he says. His friends like-wise responded coolly to his decision. To thisday his path is not being made easy for him.

Even before he was baptized, he was inter-ested in the life of monks and priests. He de-voured books on the subject and was alwayspestering the Salesian Fathers in the local

parish about it. But he still could not reallydiscover how and why someone has a voca-tion. Today he knows the truth: “There is nosingle cut-and-dried answer to it. One dayyou simply realize that God is calling you.”

He himself experienced the call of God dur-ing a journey to Belgium. Sitting in a bus, hesuddenly caught sight of a giant statue of OurLady with the Christ Child in her arms. Itsomehow moved him and, without quiteknowing what he was doing, he jumped offthe bus at the next stop, not even knowingwhere he was. He walked in the direction ofthe statue and arrived at the courtyard of alarge, old building. He knocked on everydoor, but they were all locked. There wasonly one doorway open, so he entered it. Itled to an old chapel. In front of the Taberna-cle the perpetual light of the sanctuary lampwas burning. David knelt down and prayedas he had never prayed before, the tears

streaming down his face. Leaving the chapelat last, after praying for a long time, he metan old man dressed in monastic garb. He toldhim everything he had just experienced. “Itwas in this 700-year-old monastery that Iknew that God had called me to leave every-thing and consecrate my entire life to Him.”

Today he is studying in the Catholic semi-nary in Saint Petersburg, preparing for ordi-nation to the priesthood. In 1918 thisseminary was seized by the communists;many priests were arrested, while others es-caped abroad. It was not until 1995 that theCatholic seminary in Saint Petersburg wasfinally able to open again.

Like David, many others have experiencedthe call of God: like Igor, Denis, Ivan,Orentas and Daniil. Each has his own storyto tell. Each of them comes from a differentpart of the former Soviet Union; they havebeen brought together by the knowledge thatthey have all been called to the priesthood. Itis not something that anyone can explain.But it can be experienced, here in the semi-nary of “Mary, Queen of the Apostles” inSaint Petersburg. •

Eva-Maria Kolmann

At the time he loved toread his Child’s Bible.

“One day you simply realize that God iscalling you” – seminarians praying inthe chapel.

The future is resting on their shoulders– the seminarians of Saint Petersburg.

“Mary, Queen of the Apostles” – the inner courtyard of the seminary in Saint Petersburg.

Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar projects, and enable the pastoral work of Aid to the Church in Need.