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The archbishop of Denver has opened an emergency fund to help the victims of a historic wildfire, which burned over a thousand homes last week.
The Marshall Fire, fanned by high winds, burned more than 6,000 acres of the towns of Superior and Louis-ville, near Boulder, starting on December 30.
Archbishop Samuel Aquila said local Catholic parishes have been opened to receive displaced families, and that funds collected will be distributed through parishes in the affected region.
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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250001/archbishop-aquila-open-parishes-launches-emergency-fund-for-victims-of-colorado-wildfires
Fr. Luke Mewhenu Adeleke, a priest of the Diocese of Abeokuta in Nigeria, was shot dead on Christmas Eve while returning home after celebrating Mass . He was shot in his car by unknown gunmen.
The murder and kidnapping of Christians in Nigeria have multiplied in recent years, a situation that has prompted Church leaders to express serious concern about the security of their members, and to call on the government to prioritize the security of its citizens.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249998/nigerian-priest-shot-dead-on-christmas-eve
For the first month of 2022, Pope Francis has asked Catholics to pray for those facing religious discrimination and persecution.
In a video appeal released Jan. 4, the pope called religious persecution “inhuman” and “insane.”
Overall, an estimated 340 million Christians worldwide face persecution, according to one report, an increase of 30 million from the previous year.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250011/this-is-pope-francis-prayer-intention-for-january-2022
Today, the Church honors Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first person born in the United States to be declared a saint. A convert from Episcopalianism, Elizabeth was the foundress and first superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-elizabeth-ann-seton-105