Last year, a 76-year-old Catholic monk was killed when a man stormed into his Spanish monastery. Seven others were injured as the attacker went from room to room.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. A report from OIDAC documented 2,211 anti-Christian hate crimes across Europe in 2024. Physical attacks on Christians jumped to 274 cases. Church arsons nearly doubled to 94.
The violence hasn’t stopped. In the first five months of 2025 alone, France recorded 322 anti-Christian acts. A 13% increase from the same period in 2024.
A 52-year-old man was shot dead during Sunday Mass in Istanbul. He was minutes away from being baptized. The gunmen were connected to ISIS.
In France, the historic Church of the Immaculate Conception burned to the ground last year. The church had stood since 1859. Germany saw 33 church arsons alone, with bishops saying “all taboos have been broken” in the wave of church desecrations.
Just this May, priests in France were threatened with arson. Groups of young men shouted “Allahu Akbar” and promised to burn down churches. The theft of liturgical objects has surged by more than 20% in two years.
What’s happening in our own backyard is sobering.
People are still being arrested for praying silently outside abortion clinics. A British veteran was convicted and fined for standing with his head bowed in prayer. Teachers face sanctions for mentioning faith in class.
In Poland, recent surveys found that nearly half of Catholic priests experienced aggression. Over 80 percent never bothered to report it.
Our brothers and sisters aren’t backing down. They’re creating job centers for refugees. Walking red-light districts to help trafficking victims. Opening their churches to immigrants in need. They’re living out their faith even when it costs them everything.
Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. – Hebrews 13:3
These people are not just numbers in a news story. They’re people who share our faith, our hope, our Savior. They need our prayers. They need our voices. They need to know they’re not forgotten.
The darkness is real. But so is the light that refuses to be put out.
While we worship freely this Sunday, 274 Christians were attacked for their faith this year. Take a moment to join our prayer wall. Your prayers could be the hope someone needs to keep going.
