Churches around the world will be lit red for #RedWednesday today, an annual international day of commemoration that raises awareness of Christian persecution taking place worldwide. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which has organized #RedWednesday events for years, has reported that 2024 may be the biggest year yet, with at least 300 events taking place in hundreds of cities.
Persecuted and Forgotten?
The annual observation of #RedWednesday, which in some areas of the world has grown to “Red Week” or even “Red November,” coincides with the annual release of ACN’s report on worldwide rates of persecution against Christians, titled “Persecuted and Forgotten?”
The 2024 iteration of the report indicated significant worsening of Christian persecution and included Nicaragua for the first time in the report’s 18-year history.
The report was distributed at the USCCB Plenary Assembly, where US bishops were asked to offer a special Mass for the persecuted Church and its martyrs. Many US bishops are expected to participate in #RedWednesday, as well as Courage in Faith Week, which also raises awareness of Christian persecution.
Europe
The majority of organized events for #RedWednesday are scheduled to take place in Europe. Hundreds of churches in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland have signed up to cast red lights upon their buildings. In Germany, the festivities include a performance by a well-known local Evangelical band called “Koenige und Priester” (Kings and Priests), which is expected to draw a crowd of around 1,200.
In France, ACN has organized a “Night of Witness,” at which victims of religious persecution will give first-hand accounts of the trials they have faced. The “Night of Witness” has been held for several years to great success, and this one will visit several French cathedrals with an exhibition on Christian persecution that will run through Red Week.
In the UK, Catholics schools are getting students involved in raising awareness, guiding students to run their own initiatives. ACN will hold a one-hour livestream in which they visit several UK schools and highlight the good works of the students. A special #RedWednesday Mass will be held at London’s Brompton Oratory, when the Courage to Be Christian Award will be issued. Additionally, ACN’s UK national office will host events at the Palace of Westminster in London and the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
In Ireland, 24 of 26 Catholic cathedrals have joined the initiative to be lit red on Wednesday night, as well as the world’s largest statue of St. Patrick atop Slieve Patrick Mountain. The national Marian and Eucharistic Shrine in Knock will also be red to highlight global Christian persecution.
Visit ACN to learn more about the worldwide celebration of #RedWednesday and check your local diocese to find events scheduled near you.
And today we celebrate...