The world’s tallest statue of St Patrick has turned red to highlight the plight of those persecuted for their faith with other landmarks including the Colosseum in Rome set to be illuminated for ‘Red Wednesday’.
The 47-foot monument at Saul in Co Down, where Ireland’s patron saint began his mission in 432AD and established his first church, was illuminated with the blessing of the Bishop of Down and Connor to mark the ‘Week of Witness’.
Alan McGuckian, whose diocese manages the national shrine in Ireland, visited the statue which towers above the small Slieve Patrick mountain in his red robes following a vigil Mass in nearby St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church.
The clergyman told parishioners the move marks a week of solidarity with Christians persecuted around the world “to this day”.
“Some people think there could be 250 Christians suffering violence even unto death every single day,” Bishop McGuckian said.
“There are 50 countries in the world where Christians are regularly persecuted and dying often.
“So this week you will look up at the mountain and you will see it at night all in red.
“Remember to pray for our brothers and sisters all over the world who at this very moment, this very day, are being persecuted for boasting that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’.”
The 47-foot monument was illuminated with the blessing of the Bishop of Down and Connor to mark the ‘Week of Witness’.
The Bishop recalled Fr Ragheed Ganni who served in the diocese before being killed in Irag on June 3, 2007 after celebrating Mass alongside three other church leaders.
He disobeyed orders to close the church and insisted on celebrating the Eucharist before being gunned down after refusing to convert to Islam.
Dr McGuckian also referred a Nigerian priest serving in Co. Donegal who regularly receives reports of Christians being killed in his native homeland and pointed to images of 21 Coptic Christians who were kidnapped and killed in Libya by Isis in 2015.
The initiative has been organised by the Catholic charity, Aid to a Church in Need which supports 6,000 vulnerable communities in 140 countries and facilitates the illumination of churches, cathedrals and landmarks around the world – including the Colosseum in Rome which will mark Red Wednesday on November 20.
Knock Shrine in Co. Mayo, and St Peter’s Cathedral in Belfast are among the Irish sites turning red this week.
The statue of St Patrick was constructed in the 1930s to mark the 1500th anniversary of his arrival in Ireland.
The Bishop, who wore the traditional colour of ‘martyrdom’ (derived from the Greek word for ‘witness’) encouraged all Christians “to witness to the truth”.
“There is a great tradition of Christians saying ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ and meaning it very, very seriously,” he said.
“Because Jesus is their life and they know it is so important.”
“Please God none of us will have to die for this but it would be wonderful if we were able to live for it.
“Because if our faith is worth dying for it is all the more worth living for.”
The world’s tallest statue of St Patrick has turned red for ‘Week of Witness’.
Dr McGuckian Christians – including men, women and children – “died in their droves” – on account of their faith from the very beginning of the Church “because they would not stop saying ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’”.
“And that is part of our story,” he added.
“As you know, in this place that we live, it was around here that this boast was first heard in Ireland. It was here that Patrick said ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ and he invited our ancestors and now us to share in the mission and the boast.”
The director of public affairs for Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland, said St Patrick’s monument was ideal to illuminate as the famous saint was himself persecuted during his mission, while some of his converts were martyred.
Michael Kelly warned against assuming that religious tolerance and freedom are universally recognised and respected in the 21st Century.
“Christians across the globe continue to face varying degrees of persecution, discrimination, and hostility,” he said.
“While the nature and intensity of this mistreatment differs from region to region, the phenomenon remains disturbingly widespread, affecting millions of believers in both overt and subtle ways.”
Mr Kelly said the ‘Week of Witness’ is vital for raising awareness as he thanked the sponsors who lit St Patrick’s monument, including the Diocese of Down and Connor, the parish of Saul, the Knights of St Columbanus (CK12) in Downpatrick and Newcastle, and NIAVAC (Audio Visual Ltd) in Belfast.
“Red Wednesday is at the heart of the week, and many parishes have heeded the call to hold special liturgies and prayer vigils for those persecuted, and sadly often forgotten,” he added.
The ACN charity was founded in the aftermath of the devastation of World War II and now supports some 6,000 communities in close to 140 countries reaching some of the most marginalised and vulnerable people in the world.