- Junno Arocho Esteves (OSV News)
Aid to the Church in Need's appeal to the faithful to reflect this Lenten season on the persecution of Christians has taken on added urgency with the news that a Nigerian priest has been found murdered in the early morning of the 5th, Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
Servant dedicated to God
Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu was taken from his residence on the night of March 4, and was found dead in the early hours of March 5. "The untimely and brutal loss has left us heartbroken and devastated," says the diocese, which adds that Fr. Okechukwu "was a dedicated servant of God, who worked selflessly in the Lord's vineyard, spreading the message of peace, love and hope."
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has stated that, according to the communiqué that the pontifical charitable organization received from the diocese, "no reason was given for his murder at the hands of his kidnappers".
"Always available and accessible."
Sylvester Okechukwu "was always available and accessible to his parishioners. His untimely death has left an indelible void in our diocesan family, and we share the pain of his passing with his family, friends and all who knew and loved him.
The murder of the priest illustrates the plight of Christians living in areas where the joyful hope can often be overshadowed by the darkness of persecution, which is the central theme of ACN's Lenten campaign, Christians under persecution.
Kidnappings and disappearances
The murder of the Nigerian priest came at a time when two other priests in the country are still missing after being abducted on February 22 in the diocese of Yola.
In a country where Christians are routinely discriminated against and persecuted, five priests and two nuns have been kidnapped in Nigeria this year alone. Of these, two are still missing and the remaining four were released alive, according to ACN.
In 2024, a total of 13 priests were kidnapped in Nigeria, all of whom were eventually released, and one was killed, for a total of 14 incidents, the pontifical charity noted.
Martyrs of our days
In a video published on March 4 on X, ACN highlighted Christian persecution in several countries where priests and religious are regularly abducted: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka and Mozambique, as well as Nigeria.
The video was made in honor of the persecuted and as a reminder that martyrdom is not a "thing of the past," but "a reality for many Christian communities today."
The frame of reference is the campaign 'Martyrs of Our Days: Witnesses of Hope', an initiative announced by ACN in February as a way of showing solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world during Lent, which is a time of prayer and fasting that prepares Catholics around the world to commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Persecution and discrimination are on the rise
With several testimonies, the video notes that "in the 21st century, persecution of Christians continues to increase," a claim confirmed in January by Open Doors International, a non-governmental organization that advocates for and provides services to Christians. persecuted Christians persecuted Christians around the world.
In its report, entitled 'The World Watch List 2025', Open Doors International stated that more than 380 million Christians face persecution and discrimination in 2024, an increase of 15 million from the previous year.
"Don't forget us."
Speaking to OSV News on March 4, Michael Kelly, ACN's director of public affairs in Ireland, said that Lent, and in particular Ash Wednesday, "is a time when the Church asks us to make sacrifices and think of those less fortunate than ourselves, especially those who are suffering or in some kind of need."
While many Catholics may take it for granted that they can "walk freely expressing our faith with ashes on our foreheads," for others, he said, such a mark risks "ridicule, discrimination, violence, persecution, imprisonment and even death."
"Our most recent report revealed that anti-Christian discrimination and persecution are on the rise," Kelly told OSV News. "And yet, in many of the parts of the world where it is most difficult to be a Christian, the church is growing and people are living out their faith with great joy, despite the adversity they face."
"A certain blindness to their plight."
"Everywhere I go around the world and meet people persecuted for their faith, the one thing they always say is, 'Don't forget us, we trust you to remember us,'" Kelly said. "Often, we are their only voice, and we must pray for them and express our solidarity with them, but also advocate that our political leaders do more for their plight."
Asked about the indifference faced by persecuted Christians, Kelly told OSV News that especially in Western countries, "where Christianity is seen as dominant or powerful," there can be a "certain blindness" to their plight.
To combat this, he added, it is crucial that parishes embrace the universal nature of the Church as "one global family united in faith" and raise awareness of the fact that when "one part of the body of Christ is suffering, we are all suffering."
Prayer for them
Kelly said he hoped the video would help Christians "focus their prayer" during the Lenten season on the "most important things in life," he said.millions of Christians who live their lives under daily threat, yet cling to their faith in Jesus Christ."
"They could live easier lives if they rejected their faith, but for them that's not something they ever think about, even to the point of death," he told OSV News. "I hope people will watch the videos we'll be releasing this Lent and talk to their families, communities and fellow parishioners about it and develop and grow a sense of being part of the Church's one global family of prayer."
This article is a translation of an article first published in OSV News. You can find the original article here.
