ACN Faith Alive issue 4

ISSUE No 4

FAITH ALIVE

The Interactive Magazine

GIVE A LASTING GIFT TO HELP THIS CHRISTMAS Thank you from LEBANON

Helping the suffering Church today www.acnmalta.org

ADVENT How MUSIC is CALENDAR: 24 bringing healing stories of FAITH and reconciliation

Echoes of gratitude from SYRIA

HOW TO use this magazine

A word from the National Director

Read Inspiring stories

…of faith-strong men and women around the world who are shining the light of Christ even in the darkest parts of the world.

PLAY VIDEO Catch a quick glimpse

Click on “play video” to catch a quick glimpse of the reach and impact of ACN’s work around the world.

Help us support those in need

We invite you to consider making a donation to help us fund key projects which provide essential aid to Christians in need around the world.

PLAY VIDEO As we come to the end of this year, I would like to thank you for your support throughout this challenging year for all of us. This notwithstanding, your love and solidarity go a long way to bring hope and succour to our poor and persecuted brothers and sisters who rely on us for help.

Your kind generosity enables us to continue providing the muchneeded help to needy Priests, Seminarians, Religious Sisters and Brothers and the lay faithful in the 148 countries where we work.

We have also continued to give emergency aid to Christians in places such as Lebanon, Pakistan, Mozambique and other Countries where the faithful face persecution, oppression and suffering in diverse ways.

I sincerely thank you for all that you do, especially for your prayers, kindness and commitment throughout the year, and I hope that you will continue to help share the Faith, care for the poor and needy, and provide support to persecuted Christians.

Your kind donation to any of our important projects this Christmas will transform Christmas, from one of despair to one of hope for our brothers and sisters in need.

Please do what you can today to make a difference in the life of a fellow Christian. May God bless you and your loved ones with a beautiful and peaceful Christmas.

39b, Mdina Road, Attard, ATD 9038

Yours in Christ,

Call 00356 2148 7818 Email info@acnmalta.org Twitter @acn_malta Facebook Aid to the Church in Need Malta Instagram acn_malta

www.acnmalta.org Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifical Foundation of the Catholic Church and registered in Malta Reg. No. LPF-212, as a Foundation regulated by the second schedule of the Civil Code Chapter (16) of the Laws of Malta.

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Stephen Axisa National Director Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Malta PS: As an international Catholic charitable foundation, which primarily strives to help nurture the Faith and well-being of persecuted and suffering Christians worldwide, ACN (Malta) supports important projects undertaken by the respective Christian dioceses (Bishops, Priests, Sisters and lay people) in close to 148 countries. While ACN gives full permission for the media to freely make use of the Charity’s publications, please acknowledge ACN as the source of stories when using the material.

HOW MUSIC

IS BRINGING HEALING AND RECONCILIATION IN WARTORN BURKINA FASO Sr Anne-Marie Kabore

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The eldest of five children, born to artistic parents in a Christian family, Sister AnneMarie Kabore was attracted to the religious life at the age of nine. As a child, she enjoyed singing and composing songs.

Today, her childhood dream is not only a reality, but has become a great inspiration bringing about healing and reconciliation to the hearts of many who have been wounded, traumatised and affected in different ways by the violence ravaging the West African country of Burkina Faso.

Sister Anne-Marie belongs to the congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, a pontifical congregation founded in 1924 by a bishop from the Savoie region of France and which today numbers 450 Sisters around the world - in Benin, Mali, Algeria, Italy and France.

A gifted musician, she founded a band in 2011 and since then has composed and performed her own songs, both in the local language MorĂŠ and in French - be it reggae, zouk or slow. Her albums are available on YouTube and have had hundreds of thousands of views. You may view one of her songs down here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6iFEcfbHLs)

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One of her songs, Ra le yab ye on YOUTUBE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jdYxvIJkCI

Sr Anne-Marie performing on stage with her crew

“I have three albums on the record market,” she says: “Magnificat”, released in 2011, eight songs about mutual forgiveness and charity; ‘Shalom - Peace’ (“Shalom-la paix”), released in 2014, on interreligious tolerance, acceptance of other religions and living in harmony despite our differences; and ‘Always try’ (“Essaie toujours”), in 2017, in which she invites people to trust in God despite difficulties and failures.

Among the difficulties facing Burkina’s society today, Sister Anne-Marie does not hesitate to address the terrorist attacks that are being perpetrated within the country and the areas that are suffering from insecurity.

“The Church is called to accompany, to work for reconciliation,” she says. “Last February, I composed a song for reconciliation and peace in Burkina Faso. The difficult situation that the country is going through has inspired me.

In this single, I cry out to God, that He may grant us peace, stability and reconciliation of hearts. I also sing of the need to remain united. A single was recorded in late April and will be available soon. It’s one to listen to, to meditate on, and one that speaks of the necessity of training Priests and Nuns, so that they can be the leaders of a population capable of creating a climate of peace – and ensure that Burkina Faso can reconnect with its history of peace and tolerance.”

Sister Anne-Marie Kaboré sings a “Thank you” song to the Benefactors of ACN

https://youtu.be/VOaFUjtfjHE

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been providing constant support to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Burkina Faso for years, mainly through aid for pastoral transport and construction. Sister Anne-Marie Kabore has recently presented a new Please “Help us support project relating to her singing apostolate those in Need” thank you and music ministry – specifically asking for financial support to acquire a sound system and related equipment.

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Get ready to meet and greet the Saints through their social media account!

The app “Online with Saints� offers a virtual encounter with Saints from all around the world : their inspiring life stories are linked to real life modern questions, and together with them answers are found.

MEET YOUR FAVOURITE SAINT ONLINE Imagine you could meet and greet a Saint, which Saint would you choose? Online with Saints offers a virtual encounter with over 100 Saints from all around the world. Women and men, carpenters and scholars, mothers and popes, princes and paupers, with interesting facts, quotes, prayers, and captivating stories of personal faith, love, and sacrifice.

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ADVENT CALENDAR 24 DAYS OF PREPARATION, 24 STORIES OF FAITH

Advent Candles / adapted by Irmina Nockiewicz

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With the Covid-19 pandemic still sweeping across the world, Advent will be very different for many people this year. To help prepare for Christmas, the documentary film production company, Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN), in cooperation with the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), has created an advent calendar that comes with free access to 24 documentaries which capture the reality of Christian life in different countries around the world.

The documentaries are a “window” that will help viewers prepare for the arrival of Christ at Christmas by viewing stories of heroism, dedication and suffering of the Faithful in countries like Israel, Venezuela, Pakistan, Nicaragua, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Egypt, Indonesia, Ukraine and Belarus, among others.

Stories include that of “the untameable Cardinal” in Croatia which will open on December 19. Then, there is the “window” of December 21 which will feature the story of kidnapped brides in Egypt, such as 14-year-old Nadia Makram who was kidnapped in 2011 during a Church service.

The documentaries - available in English - were broadcast in 2015 and 2016 on 80 television channels around the world.

Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN) was founded in 1987. With the support of Aid to the Church in Need, it produces documentaries, weekly radio and television interviews and short-format programmes broadcast on 133 Catholic and public channels.

The Advent calendar is available at www.crtn.org/advent 9

THANK YOU FROM LEBANON This beautiful message comes from Archbishop John Darwish of Zahle, Lebanon, expressing his appreciation for years of support and kindness from our ACN benefactors.

Archbishop John Darwish handing out packed meals for Syrian refugees at St-Georges Haouch Al Omara, Lebanon

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My dear friend, I write this letter to you from Lebanon with a warm and grateful heart, with sincere hope that it finds you and your family doing well.

As we near the end of the year and get closer to Our Saviour’s birth, I become ever more thankful for those whose kindness has changed my people’s lives. You are one of these people.

For years now, and all donors of Aid to the Church in Need, have stood by the faithful of my country. Through war, hunger, economic crisis, the recent explosion in Beirut, COVID-19 and more, you have always been linked arm in arm with your fellow Christians, assuring them and the Church that they would not be abandoned.

What you have accomplished has been amazing and is truly God’s work. Because of you: 1,400 meals are served to the hungry each day at the St. John the Merciful Table in Zahle; a COVID test center is being developed in one of the poorest regions of Lebanon to provide to the urgent needs of the faithful; and the food and hygiene packages are distributed to those in distress. Hope is being spread to those living in chaos and fear.

So many times, we felt as though we held the future of our faithful in our hands; trying as hard as we could to help them. Then we would receive aid from the donors of ACN and we would know that we were not alone in this battle. Thank you.

I pray that this upcoming Christmas season is a blessed one, one filled with good health and time devoted to family and prayer. Please know that we will be praying for you; kindly keep us in your prayers as well.

May His everlasting love and mercy be with you always, and may peace reign on earth and within all of us.

Most Rev. Issam John Darwish, BSO.DD Archbishop of Furzol, Zahle and the Bekaa, Lebanon

Please “Help us support those in Need” thank you

Greek Melkite Archbishop Issam John Darwish of the Eparchy of Zahle, Furzol and the Bekaa, Lebanon

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SYRIA:

ECHOES OF GRATITUDE FROM SYRIA Thanks to the help of ACN, the great majority of Christian university students in Syria have been able to continue their studies in this war-torn country.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, ACN has donated over ₏3.6 million in support of young people’s school and university studies. Some of the students express their gratitude to ACN and its Benefactors.

Homs University students supported by ACN

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Sister Joseph Marie Chanaa with university students receiving aid from ACN

What the Students had to say...

“

One of the most difficult times I experienced was when our university was forced to close down, for several months, owing to the intensity of the attacks. We all thought that we would no longer be able to fulfil our dreams and finish our university careers and one day enjoy a better life here in Syria. But you, at ACN never failed us with your support. Many thanks for your help,

”

Wissam Salloum

With your kind support, now we know that we are not alone. This gives us the motivation to complete our studies and at the same time to help those who are most in need here in Syria,

”

Pascal Napki

“

“

The scholarship given to us by ACN is a big help to our families, since we barely have enough to eat with or to pay the rent on our homes,

Sandra Satmeh

“

”

There has been a great deal of suffering in Syria, and many families have lost everything in the war. Being able to continue with my studies is what has helped me to remain hopeful and stay happy through these years. Now I want to be able to deepen my knowledge and help other people here in my country,

Anaghem Tannous

”

Please “Help us support those in Need” thank you 13

GIVE A LASTING GIFT TO HELP CHRISTIANS IN NEED THIS CHRISTMAS 14

Christmas

Gifts of Faith

As we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas, if you are able, kindly consider making a special Gift of Faith in support of the suffering Church. Every gift from you is a joyous opportunity to share Christ’s love and charity with some of the poorest and suffering Christian communities.

Your meaningful gift this Christmas can help bring joy to these Christians and greet them with a message of hope that says: ‘You are not alone. You are loved and remembered by me.’

https://youtu.be/mFKY0sLE2XQ

Visit www.acnmalta.org/giftsoffaith to view our range of Christmas projects for Christians in need and how you can help bring hope and comfort to them this season of love.

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