In my new book, When the Sickle Swings: Stories of Catholics Who Survived Communist Oppression, I document the testimonies of heroic Catholics who kept the faith despite persecution by hostile regimes the world over. I was privileged to interview survivors of...
persecuted christians
2 Powerful Things You Can Do If You Feel Helpless About the Plight of Persecuted Christians
It's very often not the case that we simply don’t care about our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters across the world. The problem is often that we feel helpless and overwhelmed by the terrible situations they are in, and we don’t know what we can do to help...
Faith Is A Gift: Following 4 Seminarians On Pilgrimage To Iraq
A few weeks ago, four seminarians from Michigan embarked on a pilgrimage to Iraq. Iraq may seem like an unusual choice for a pilgrimage destination for most of us, but the country holds a special meaning for these four men. They are all studying to be Catholic priests...
The Powerful Message Iraq’s Archbishop Gave at World Youth Day
World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, was a huge, week-long event with catechesis in multiple languages all over the city. I was blessed to be able to attend the English catechesis at the Mercy Center in the Tauron Stadium. All of the speakers were clear and able to...
An Iraqi Priest Shares The 5 Things You Can Do To Help Persecuted Christians
Softly spoken, with a gentle demeanor, Fr Douglas Bazi delivers his message for the camera with quiet but unapologetic firmness. His tone is even, straightforward, but something in his voice carries an urgency. There is a sense that time is running out. There is a...