Our Mission

"The Catholic Church asks no privileges for herself but only the legitimate conditions of freedom to carry out her mission.  In the concert of nations, she always seeks to encourage understanding and cooperation between peoples based on loyalty, discretion and friendliness."
— Pope Benedict XVI

As an international Catholic charity under the guidance of the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need’s mission is to help suffering and persecuted faithful worldwide.

As the voice of the suffering Church, with the help of our ACN family of faithful — hundreds of thousands of concerned and committed Catholics worldwide — we reach out to assist people in need in over 145 countries. Each year, we fulfill more than 5,000 projects through our spiritual and material aid programs. Our shared goal: To help strengthen the Church and keep the Faith alive.

Where there is darkness and despair, we provide light, hope, and a constant sign that the Church is a dynamic, single, universal body in Christ.

Support this Project
Message from Fr Hugh
Dear Friend,
Welcome! As Spiritual Director of the U.S. office of Aid to the Church in Need, I invite you to join our ongoing efforts to restore hope to Catholics being persecuted around the world for refusing to give up their belief in Christ and the Church. If you are…
Fr Hugh's Message continues
  ACN's History
Born out of the ashes of World War II,  Aid to the Church in Need came into being in 1947 when a young Norbertine priest named Father Werenfried van Straaten — whose name means "Warrior for Peace" — set out to meet the material and spiritual needs of homeless and dispossessed victims of the war. More on ACN’s History
  About Our Founder
It all began on Christmas Day, 1947, with an article, "No Room at the Inn," written by Father Werenfried van Stratten for his abbey's newsletter. In this article, Father Werenfried passionately called upon faithful to have the courage and compassion to open their hearts and reach out to suffering World War II refugees… More About Our Founder