ACN: Night of Witness

I just received the following email:

Happy Easter to you!

I work in the Fundraising and Marketing team at Aid to the Church in Need UK. I’m emailing in the hope that you won’t mind giving a plug on your blog, to the ‘Night of Witness’ event to support persecuted Christians that ACN is organising at Westminster Cathedral on the evening and night of Thursday 17^th May.

ACN’s Night of Witness is the biggest UK event yet that ACN has organised. There is an extensive line up of inspirational guests and performers on the night, including several bishops from around the world, as well as Catholic band ‘ooberfuse’ – who had the winning UK entry for last year’s World Youth Day song contest. 

This event gives us a crucial chance to stand together with our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering persecution, in what is now a highly fraught era for Christians worldwide.

I know that you have posted in the past on the plight of persecuted Christians, and I hope this event may act as an opportune link for you to write a new piece should you feel inspired to do so. Of particular note, in recent weeks we have received the news that almost the entire Christian population of the Syrian city of Homs (50,000 or more people) has fled violence and persecution engulfing their homeland. As you will know, other high-profile (though not as high profile as we would like) issues include the current detention, awaiting execution, of Asia Bibi on blasphemy charges in Pakistan; the similar detention of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani on the same ‘charges’ in Iran; and, on a more positive note, the recent suggestion by Cardinal O’Brien that murdered Pakistani politician Shahbaz Bhatti might be made a saint for his heroic witness to the faith. Other recent news stories can be read on our news page here: www.acnuk.org/news

I attach a promotional flyer for the event in .jpeg format. The reverse of the flyer gives more details of the schedule and line-up on the night.

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/370174729664843/

ACN web-page: www.acnuk.org/vigil

Many thanks in anticipation of your help and your prayers.

 

Mark Banks