Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – “In Memoriam Martyrum,” three days of prayer and reflection on the Passion of Christ and the Church are being organized at Rome by the Association of Pontifical Right, Aid to the Church in Need, March 19-21. On the morning of Friday, March 19, at the Pontifical Lateran University, there will be an organized screening of a movie-exhibit on martyred priests. In the afternoon, at the Basilica of San Crisogono, at 4:15 the Via Crucis will be celebrated in memory of the martyrs of the 20th century, and at 6pm, there will be a Holy Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Coutts, Bishop of Faisalabad (Pakistan). Saturday, March 20th, the Pontifical Lateran University, at 4pm, will host a conference entitled "The blood of martyrs is the seed of new Christians." On Sunday March 21st, at 4pm, there will be a screening of the film "Popieluszko" which tells the heroic story of the Polish priest killed by the Secret Service in 1984. On Saturday, March 20th, from 10:30 am to 6:30pm, in the University Chapel, there will be ongoing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in prayer for the Church in Need.
In the Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura in Rome at 8:45, on Sunday, March 21, there will be a Missionary Vigil sponsored by the Diocese of Rome in memory of the Missionary Martyrs. Paris has planned another "Night of the Witnesses," which has the subtitle "Christians still die for their faith." The prayer vigil, sponsored by the French section of Aid to the Church in Need, will be held in the church of Saint Sulpice, on Wednesday, March 24, from 8-10pm. After bringing together over 1,600 people for the first edition of the initiative last year, this year ACN is honoring the memory of those who died for the faith in 2009 and will try to spread awareness of the plight of Christians living in many countries. The vigil will be attended by the Archbishop of Algiers, Archbishop Ghaleb Bader, Fr. Nicolas Buttet, founder of the Eucharistein Fraternity, and other figures from the world of culture. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 5/03/2010)
