The End of an Era: The Final ACN-NW Prayer Vigil for Religious Freedom

The Final Prayer Vigil: Holy Apostles & Martyrs, Wallasey

It's been a long haul, but totally worth it--as of last Friday evening (20 March), the series of Prayer Vigils for Religious Freedom that began with Archbishop Kaigama's talk at Holy Name Church in Manchester moved into the very first (and still the best attended!) prayer vigil at St Joseph's in Accrington has now concluded with the eighteenth and final vigil at Holy Apostles and Martyrs in Wallasey on the Wirral.

All of the vigils have been wonderful and I have had the pleasure of meeting so many committed long-term ACN benefactors and plenty of new people who are just beginning their journey with us. I have worked with six bishops, around twenty-five priests and literally hundreds of people interested in learning about and praying for those who suffer religious persecution. I've made friends; I've opened dialogues with parishes, schools and special interest groups; I've looked on as regular benefactors realise that their friends and neighbours also support ACN and they didn't know that they shared this common interest. 

Young Syrian Girl at an Advent Service

I shall miss my pop-up banner with the picture of the Syrian girl holding her candle up at an Advent vigil; I have seen a number of people approach her at the close of a vigil to say a little prayer or gently rest a hand on her forehead in support. I shall miss reading the incredibly moving statement written for the vigils by Sahar Mansour, an Iraqi Christian woman from Mosul who currently 'lives' with her family in the refugee camp in Ankawa, north of Erbil. I read that statement eighteen times; I feel as though Sahar is a good friend even though I have never met her. Her brave words have inspired so many prayers over the past five months.

I shall miss a few things slightly less: I have not a completely free weekend in weeks--not that I minded as it was all for a good cause, but my house is a mess and my children are looking forward to decent meals on weekends... I love baking, but the famous ACN-NW thank you cakes which I presented to every priest who hosted a vigil and each bishop who attended one were at times being baked in batches of six just to get me through a single weekend's worth of vigils. My children took to staring balefully at the cooling rack. I managed to fit in an extra cake for them whenever I could... Then there were the long drives--almost always in the dark AND the rain to places I had never been before--a bit hairy here and there, but overall I managed  pretty well (thanks to Theodora, the ACN mobile, and Roberta, my trusty sat-nav). 

The Paris Rep Team and
Fr Kevin Lowry,
Holy Family,
Freckleton & Warton

Some thanks are in order here. First to all the priests who offered venues (generally without too much arm twisting) and to those in neighbouring parishes who helped by advertising vigils; to Simon Caldwell who acted as the go-between for me with Sahar Mansour, to my friend who helped me put together the original format for the vigil, to Johnny at ACN HQ who helped send out invitations, to my husband and children who helped me pack up boxes, load and unload the car, tidy up afterwards, all this even while being forced to attend three or even four vigils in a row. I'd also like to thank Archbishop McMahon and Bishops Brain, Arnold, Brignall, Campbell and Davies for their support and contributions at each of the vigils they attended--Bishop Mark Davies attended two vigils including the final one in Wallasey--his kind words at the end about ACN and its work with suffering Christians and his thanks to me on behalf of the bishops of the region really meant a lot to me. There are undoubtedly others deserving of thanks; anyone I have overlooked, please know that this is unintentional! Thank you, also, to all of the people who attended the vigils and those who couldn't attend but sent letters of support and donations instead.

Prayer vigils are about the quality of the prayers and not the quantity of those offering them, but such overwhelming support from the Catholic community in the NW and North Wales can only have helped. I feel that together we have managed to do something very important and very special. Thank you all!