Week of Witness 2026

Red Week, an initiative launched by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in 2015 and known in several countries as Red Wednesday, combines the illumination of buildings with prayer vigils, testimonies, public events, school initiatives and meetings with Christians from countries affected by persecution.

According to the latest figures provided by ACN, 413 million Christians live in countries where serious violations of religious freedom occur, and around 220 million Christians worldwide are directly exposed to persecution.

“Faced with this reality, the pontifical foundation is once again promoting the Red Week this November, an international mobilisation of prayer, witness and awareness-raising to draw attention to the deterioration of religious freedom and remember the millions of Christians who suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith,” recalls Regina Lynch, Executive President of ACN International.

More than 125,000 participants are expected, along with at least 130 cathedrals and thousands of churches and buildings, according to data collected by the foundation so far.

Among the sites that will be illuminated in red on 23 November are the Basilica of Knock.

Red is more than just a colour. It recalls the blood of the martyrs and of all those who suffer because of their faith. In 68 countries, damage to or destruction of Christian property with a clear religious component has been recorded, with churches being the main targets in 62 of them. In 57 countries, Christians have suffered physical violence or detention because of their faith, while in 33 they have been forced to leave their homes because of religious persecution.

“Every church or monument illuminated in red represents people who cannot freely practise their faith. Through Red Week, we want those suffering persecution to know that they have not been forgotten, and to remind the world that religious freedom is not a privilege but a fundamental human right. That is why, this year, we are also inviting people around the world to add their voices through a petition defending this right,” says Lynch.

This reality continues to have very tangible human consequences. ACN documented the killing of 19 priests and religious in 2025, while another 28 were detained or deprived of their freedom for reasons related to persecution.

Resources for Week of Witness and Red Wednesday are available on: www.dioceseofmeath.ie/pastoral-resources-1