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On behalf of the Aid to the Church in Need we extend a warm invitation to;

NIGHT OF THE WITNESSES – Wednesday, 22 November – 7 – 8.30 pm – St Patrick’s Cathedral

An evening to hear inspirational stories of modern days martyrs; to pray for the persecuted Church and hear powerful testimonies from 3 international speakers.

Archbishop Peter Comensoli will be the presider at the evening.

I am writing to extend a warm invitation to Victorian Catholic school communities – staff, students and families – to attend a very special event Aid to the Church in Need is holding this year in Melbourne called: Night of the Witnesses. ( link to the 2 minute promotional video) Originally created and held in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris over 15 years ago, it is a night of remembrance and prayer that seeks to draw our Catholic community into a moment of solidarity and justice with those who suffer persecution for their faith. Through prayer, song, testimony and reflection it takes participants on a journey that connects them to the very essence of what it means to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. It is both inspirational and uplifting, as well as challenging and at times, deeply moving.

One of the Year 12 students, Ben Paton a Year 12 student from Marist College, who attend the event last year in Canberra made the following comment:

“I was astonished to hear about the number of modern-day martyrs and the extent of persecution … but was also inspired by one of the speakers who said ‘With faith and courage we can defeat any evil without fear.’”

Who should attend? Schools are invited to send a group of representatives to attend the event. They may be drawn from the student leadership team; social justice or mission and ministry teams; or whoever each school believes would most suitable to attend. There will also be capacity of larger groups, should a school wish to send a bigger contingent.

Resources and information:

• link to the 2 minute promotional video
• Article on Archdiocese of Melbourne website: https://melbournecatholic.org/news/melbourne-to-host-next-night-of-the-witnesses-in-solidarity-with-persecuted-christians
• Physical resources will also be available for schools: (that will be distributed through MACS)
• Flyers (see attached)
• Posters (attached)
• Classroom lesson materials – for those looking for some background information about Christians persecution and the work of Aid to the Church in Need, you might like to have a look at our UK offices Education resources (which we will be working at adapting for Australian schools in 2024). They can be perused here. A senior school resource can be perused here:

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For further information, please contact Cathy via my email cathy@aidtochurch.org