Standing in solidarity with those persecuted for their faith
Aid to the Church in Need supports Catholics and other Christians where they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. This year, they joined forces with Christian Solidarity Worldwide, who similarly work for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights.
Mrs McDermott, Head of RE, and Leah Mpinga and Trishala Rai of Upper VI, were invited to the Houses of Parliament on Red Wednesday by Aid to the Church in Need as guests of Lord Alton of Liverpool. As well as St Augustine’s Priory, representatives from Sacred Heart, The Oratory and King’s College London were given a tour by Lord Alton of Westminster Hall and the House of Lords. A report on the day from Leah and Trishala will follow next week.
As a school we are taking part in #RedWednesday by wearing a red accessory to school and going to Mass for someone who can’t. In General RE, Lower VI have been researching the work of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need and their #RedWednesday campaign. Below, they explain the importance of Red Wednesday and how St Augustine’s Priory participates each year.
“Red Wednesday is making us aware of people who are persecuted for their faith. It gives people strength to carry on believing in their faith throughout their struggle and lets them know that people are there to support them. It also helps us to realise how lucky we are to live in a society and even a country where freedom of speech is accepted and everyone has a right to practise whatever faith they want to. Going to a Catholic school, it really shocked me to hear that Christianity is the most persecuted faith. To think that our lives would be at risk in another country just because of the school we go to is unimaginable.
It is important that our school raises awareness for Red Wednesday because it can allow us to recognise times in our society when people are not given freedom of speech. It also helps us realise how much we take for granted in the UK and I think we should think of people in other parts of the world who have the same Christian beliefs as us but are not accepted for their views. They may even risk their life in speaking up for their beliefs.
Red Wednesday is a day to recognize people who are suffering in the name of their faith. Sadly Christians are being persecuted worldwide because of their beliefs. For some, this means that participating in church services or going to Mass is a luxury they cannot afford. Often we forget how privileged we are with our right of free expression.”
Categories: Faith Life Junior Senior Sixth Form Whole School