SW News: Inviting the attention of faithful across the world to the mostly ignored cry of persecuted Christians in several countries, a unique shrine will be blessed in the US state of Massachusetts on October 21.

A shrine dedicated to Mary Mother of Persecuted Christians will be blessed on Friday at the Church of St John the Evangelist in Clinton. The shrine will include an icon of the Blessed Mother painted by a deacon from Iraq. Urging the Catholics to pray for persecuted Christians worldwide, the shrine will be blessed by Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester.

The shrine is the second of its kind in the US and the third in the world dedicated to Our Lady, the Mother of Persecuted Christians. Following the blessing of the shrine, a sung Mass composed by Paul Jernberg will be said. This special Marian shrine is the brainchild of English priest Fr Benedict Kiely who works for persecuted believers. The idea is to invite attention through prayer to the plight of Christians worldwide.

In 2016, Fr Benedict established Nasarean.org, a nonprofit organization that aims to assist persecuted Christians, especially in the Middle East. Through this organization, the priest advocates for the persecuted faithful. As a result, Fr Kiely was relieved from the pastoral duties and embodied himself into the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in 2016, following which he was able to spend his whole time for the persecuted.

The first such shrine in the USA was opened in the Church of St Michael in New York City in 2017. Outside America, a similar shrine was opened recently in the Ordinariate Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Gregory in London.

More than 360 million Christians reportedly endure severe prejudice and persecution worldwide. According to the Open Doors website, 5,898 Christians were killed last year for their faith, 5,110 churches and other Christian facilities were attacked, and 4,765 believers were detained without charge, arrested, condemned, or imprisoned.