Throughout November, the Diocese of Parramatta joins more than 30 dioceses across Australia and New Zealand, including every Archdiocese and four of the Eastern Catholic eparchies, in prayer and solidarity with Christians who face violence, discrimination and persecution because of their beliefs.
Red November is a global initiative led by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), inviting people of faith to remember and pray for Christians who suffer for their beliefs. This year every Catholic Archdiocese across Australia and New Zealand will come together in prayer and solidarity.
ACN’s recently released Persecuted and Forgotten? 2024-2026 report reveals that about 220 million Christians were directly exposed to persecution in 2023, with oppression worsening in more than half of the countries surveyed.
As part of the initiative, cathedrals, churches, schools and homes are illuminated in red, the colour of martyrdom, as a visible sign of remembrance. Catholics are also encouraged to pray the Red Rosary, dedicating each decade to a different continent where Christians face persecution.
In the Diocese of Parramatta, several parishes will mark Red November with special Masses, inviting the faithful to pray for those whose freedom to practice their religion is threatened.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv will celebrate Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, on 25 November at 7pm. A collection will be taken up during the Mass to support the work of Aid to the Church in Need.
Other Masses and commemorations across the Diocese include:
- Corpus Christi, Cranebrook – 7 November 6pm Mass; 8 November 7:30am and 9:30am Mass
- St Bernadette’s Parish, Dundas Valley – Mass on 18 November at 6pm
- St Finbar’s Parish, Glenbrook – 21 and 22 November weekend Masses
- Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Greystanes – Mass on 23 November at 9:15am
- Holy Cross Parish, Granville – 25 November at 8:15 am (Holy Trinity Church), 6pm (Holy Family Church). Churches will be lit up in red.
- Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, St Marys – Mass on 26 November at 7pm.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok C.Ss.R., ACN’s Red November Ambassador, encourages Catholics to offer Masses and prayers throughout the month to strengthen those who continue to practice their faith under threat.
“This Red November, I invite Catholics across Australia and New Zealand to stand with our brothers and sisters who suffer persecution simply because they remain faithful to Christ,” said Cardinal Bychok.
Drawing on his Ukrainian heritage, Cardinal Bychok recalled the persecution of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church under the Soviet regime, when clergy were arrested, churches confiscated and the faithful forced to practice their religion in secret.
“During Red November, I ask you to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in your personal prayers and, above all, through your participation in the Holy Eucharist. Speak about their suffering in your parishes, schools and communities. Let us make sure that their stories are heard and that they know they are not forgotten.
“May our prayer, our public witness and our practical support remind our persecuted brothers and sisters that they are not alone,” he said.
Through Red November, Catholics are invited to stand alongside persecuted Christians, remembering their suffering and drawing inspiration from their courage and enduring faith.
To learn more about Red November, visit rednovember.org
This initiative aligns with the Diocesan Pastoral Plan priorities of Community and Mission, and the objectives to be a Church that reaches to the margins. Visit Synodality to learn more.
