Participate in ‘Red Week’ by praying for persecuted Christians this November

Aid to the Church in Need USA is calling on the faithful to remember persecuted Christians in November through prayer and acts of solidarity, honoring those who have given their lives for the faith.

The international charity is inviting Christians to participate in Red Week, Nov. 15–22, by praying daily, lighting red candles, wearing red, and requesting Masses for Christian martyrs and those facing persecution, according to a press release shared with Zeale News.

As part of the observance, churches and landmarks worldwide will be lit in red to commemorate Christian martyrs and express solidarity with those suffering for their faith, the organization said.

The charity pointed to Christians in 62 countries facing persecution or discrimination because of their faith, including exclusion from public life, forced displacement, and loss of property.

“They are priests and sisters, mothers and fathers, children and grandparents,” the release stated. “Many cannot display a cross in public. Some have lost their homes. Others sit in prison cells because of their faith. And too often, they feel forgotten.”

To raise awareness, the charity encouraged participants to share its materials with parishes, schools, and prayer groups. It also said financial contributions help threatened Christian communities obtain food and shelter, rebuild, and receive pastoral care.

The appeal follows recent reports of violence against Christians in Jos, Nigeria, where at least seven Christians were reportedly killed Oct. 26, as Zeale News previously reported. 

In an Oct. 26 X post addressing separate attacks in Jordan and Ethiopia, Bishop Robert Barron urged Christians to pray for those facing persecution and press leaders to act.

“These are not statistics,” Bishop Barron said. “They are our brothers and sisters, members of the mystical Body of Christ.”