The Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Philippines is inviting parishes to join the Red Wednesday observance on Nov. 24 by lighting the facade of their respective churches in red from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Red Wednesday is a church event to support Christians persecuted for their faith around the world.
In previous years, ACN, the official papal charity for persecuted Christians, has been tackling issues of religious persecution as main highlights for the Red Wednesday campaign.
For 2021, however, ACN Philippines executive director Msgr. Pedro Santos, said that they will be weaving together two of the recent events in the local and universal church: the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines and the preparation towards the Synod of Bishops in 2023.
“This year, we pay tribute to the Filipino martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Gospel, as well as paying homage to the preparation of the synodal aim to take the path of Christ as one Church,” Santos said in a CBCP News post.
“May the sacrifice of our martyred brethren and love of Jesus Christ live on in our country beyond 500 years of outstanding faith,” he added.
The Red Wednesday Mass and the lighting rite at the Pasig Cathedral will be livestreamed through ACN’s Facebook page and its partners.
First organized in the United Kingdom in 2016, the Philippines started joining the campaign the following year.
In January 2020, the Philippine bishops’ conference officially institutionalized the annual celebration of Red Wednesday in all dioceses.
This year's theme for Red Wednesday is “Red without fear: A Church journeying as one."