Since December 2, the Canadian office of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been in the midst of its Christmas campaign, and the generosity of benefactors has been overwhelming.

“I’m always moved by the generosity of our benefactors towards their sisters and brothers in faith, whom they do not even know,” says Marie-Claude Lalonde, national director of Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN). “Continue to be generous,” she adds, “because the needs are great this December.”

In the Middle East, misery is reaching new heights with the war between Hamas and Israel. In this region, which has already been significantly destabilized by years of conflict, ACN continues to lend its support to Christian communities, who in turn are supporting the population.

 “There is an urgent need to support the small Christian community in the Holy Land,” says Ms. Lalonde. And ACN’s benefactors are answering the call. “We’ve almost reached our target,” she says. “Thank you and please continue!”

In Syria, where the effects of international sanctions are untenable for the population, members of the Christian community are receiving help through micro-projects, among others, which enable the start or re-launch of small businesses.

“The example of John Susany is telling,” explains Ms. Lalonde. “After losing his business during the war, he settled into a cemetery in Damascus with his family so that his children would not have to sleep out in the streets. Today, the Micro-Projects Program is giving him hope for a better future.”

In Lebanon, we support Catholic schools—an exceptional and unusual project for ACN—which helps to keep an educational system alive that otherwise would have ceased altogether. Not to mention support for Catholic religion teachers in state schools, who are also supported through this project.

“Finally, the seminarians in Lebanon are also receiving support from ACN,” concludes Ms. Lalonde. “They are determined to stay and bring comfort to a population experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis since 2019.”