About us and our mission
Get to know Aid to the Church in Need. Our mission, what we are committed to and our funding priorities in 2023.
I am so grateful for all that you are doing to help our sufering people. May our Lord bless you, and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Sr Annie Demerjian, project partner, Syria
Aid to the Church in Need was initially established in 1947 as a Catholic aid organisation for war refugees and has been recognised as a Pontifical Foundation since 2011. Under our guiding principle of “information, prayer and action”, today we are committed to helping Christians across the globe, wherever they are persecuted or oppressed or sufer material hardships.
In addition, we are committed to religious freedom and reconciliation across all faiths. Our foundation does not accept any support from government agencies. However, thanks to hundreds of thousands of benefactors who donate to Aid to the Church in Need, we are now active worldwide with an annual donation volume of 143,7 million euros. This story shows, once again, how practical charity arises from proclaiming one’s faith.
A Pontifical Foundation with worldwide reach
There are numerous charities that look after those in need. What distinguishes Aid to the Church in Need from these organisations? We are the only international Catholic organisation focusing on the pastoral and spiritual support of persecuted and suffering Christians.
Following our inclusion under the Vatican’s umbrella, our General Secretariat in Germany and our 23 National Sections have been successful in building a unique bridge between benefactors and those in need.