Version en Español del video: 

Soy Nazareno, Cristiano por Iraq, ¿y tu?

Short Summary

Background

Christians and other minorities in Iraq are being persecuted, murdered, made slaves, and driven from the homes they have occupied since the early Christian communities were formed by the Apostles after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Throughout history, many Christians were persecuted and became martyrs as they defended their faith, laying down their lives for the love of Jesus Christ.  History is now repeating itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (“ISIS” or the “Islamic State”) is making martyrs of the descendents of early Christian communities as well as other innocent religious minorities for the only reason of not thinking exactly the same as them.  The world now watches in horror as Christian are being decapitated, crucified, women raped and made slaves, with the children also being raped and decapitated.  The Islamic State has forced more than 1.2 million Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims from their homes in Iraq, under threat of death or heavy fines if they do not convert. [1] 

The international community has only started to implement a strategy to stop ISIS before their actions become genocide.  In the mean time many Christians, including Catholics, ask themselves what they can do to help those persecuted Christians brothers and sisters and other religious minorities in Iraq beyond intensifying their prayers for them.  Pope Francis has given $1 million as a personal contribution to help Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq who have been forced from their homes.[2]  Other Catholic organizations have also raised over $1 million each for the same objective[3].

Photograph source: Reuters

The Campaign

The question is then, how can common lay people of good faith throughout the world help these martyr communities in Iraq with something more than their valuable prayers?  Knowing that faith without works is dead (James 2:26), the answer is with their pocket, by contributing funds to be used for relief efforts for these communities.  But, then the next question comes up:  How can individuals contribute funds given their limited economic condition where they live and how can they send these funds to aid our Christian brothers and Sisters as well as other religious minorities in Iraq?  The answer is to contribute to the Relief Fund for Christians and Other Minorities in Iraq, with an aim to raise at least $1 million, net of fund raising fees and perk costs.

This campaign is a joint effort of La Filotea Productions, Inc., a lay Catholic organization, and two Catholic religious orders, the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives and the Institute of the Incarnate Word.

About the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives

The Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives is a Catholic religious order founded in the year 1198 by St. John de Matha.  The founding purpose of the Order was ransoming Christian captives and performing Works of Mercy.  The Order remains committed to help all who suffer uncommon hardships, especially those who suffer for their faith in Christ or who are poor.  For more information, please visit www.trinitarians.org.

About the Institute of the Incarnate Word

The Institute of the Incarnate Word is a clerical institute (in which religious who are not priests also form a part), whose members aspire to consecrate themselves to God by means of the profession of the evangelical counsels, making public vows, living a fraternal life in common.  The Institute is at the disposition of the Bishops to assist them in their local Churches, providing teachers for seminaries, and priests for the care of parishes and schools of various levels. The Institute of the Incarnate Word is present in all continents and has a mission in Iraq.  For more information, please visit www.verboencarnado.net.

About La Filotea Productions, Inc.

La Filotea Productions, Inc. is dedicated to evangelize through various multimedia channels, mainly in the Spanish language, and to support works of mercy.  La Filotea Productions currently produces “La Filotea – Alma Que Ama A Dios” catholic radio programming that is currently aired weekly on Radio Maria in five markets in the Americas, has an online catholic book store on Amazon (www.amazon.com/shops/lafilotea), and manages an online catholic social network at www.lafilotea.com.

What We Need & What You Get

Our goal is to raise at least $1 million for this campaign, net of fund raising fees and perk expenses, and with your contributions and prayers, and those of your friends and family members, we can do it.  When we serve one of these suffering brothers and sisters of ours, we are serving our Lord Jesus Christ, as he is once again tortured and crucified in front of our eyes. Please donate!

Your tax deductible donations will be received directly by the Order of The Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (The Trinitarians) in the USA and distributed in Iraq with the collaboration of the Institute of the Incarnate Word that has a mission in Baghdad.    Both orders are Catholic institutions.  Funds will be used to provide humanitarian aid to the most needed persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq.  Humanitarian Aid will include food, drinking water, shelter, clothing, medical aid, and other basic necessities. If we do not reach our goal, we will still send the contributions to Iraq, net of processing and perk costs, as any help is in much needed for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities. 

The Perks we are providing are designed to benefit both the souls of those that give as well as those that receive.  The perks we offer range from placing your names on the altar in a mass to be celebrated in the Latin Cathedral in Baghdad, to receiving an Olive Rosary from the Holy Land, to receiving campaign T-Shirts and Polo shirts, to prayer cards, as well as to attending Mass with the Superior of the Institute of Incarnate Word in Rome and a Semi-Private Audience with Pope Francis (pending Pope’s availability).

The Impact

The Institute of the Incarnate Word has already distributed funds to the most needed persecuted Christians and other minorities in Iraq.  Below is a quote from Father Luis Montes, pastor of the Latin Cathedral in Baghdad and a religious member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word:

“A few days ago I gave Father Amir $2000 from your donations to deliver to a refugee center in northern Iraq, where children are sheltered. This center is run by sisters (nuns) and there are 150 children every day at the center. 

Father Amir gave the funds to the sister in charge and her face lit up, saying ‘Father, you do not know how much we need this. We did not have any funds left to buy milk for tomorrow!”

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us "And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." (Mathew 30, 11). God pays us for every good deed we do!

So in the midst of the pain from this senseless violence, we rejoice in those children who had milk thanks to you, and we are glad for you because you will not go unrewarded.

God bless you!

P. Luis Montes, IIW

Risks & Challenges

If we are successful in this campaign, it will be for the Glory of God.  If we fail, it will be for our humiliation.  In either case, it will be good for us. However, we are undertaking this campaign as we hear in our hearts the call from God to do so.  We have done our part, now it is up to our God to do His.  The work depends on us, the results depend on Him.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, Amen.

We are telling the whole world that this campaign is undergoing.  We will keep in constant prayer for its success.  If we come short of our goal, we will still use the funds for humanitarian aid for the benefit of persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq.  If we exceed our goals, we will consider distributing extra funds for other persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in Syria.  It is now all up to God. 

We will be in constant prayer for God’s Will to be done, and if it is His Will, this campaign will be successful and exceed our goal.

This campaign is dedicated to Christina, a beautiful 12 year old girl that was the first to die at the hands of ISIS during the Eucharistic Celebration (Holy Mass) in Baghdad, on October 31, 2010.

                  Christina

Photograph source: Friends of Iraq

Other Ways You Can Help

If you are not able to contribute funds, we ask you to please contribute with your valuable prayers for the campaign to be successful and for God’s Mercy for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.  We also ask you to get the word out and make some noise for this much needed campaign.  We invite you to please use the Indiegogo share tools.

You remain in our prayers and ask God to bless you.

The Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives

The Institute of the Incarnate Word

La Filotea Productions

"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." - Mathew 25, 40.

Prayer for Persecuted Christians (from the Roman Catholic Missal)

O God, who in your inscrutable providence will that the Church be united to the sufferings of your Son, grant, we pray, to your faithful who suffer for your name’s sake a spirit of patience and charity, that they may be found true and faithful witnesses to the promises you have made.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Versión en Español:

Señor Dios, que en tu inescrutable providencia quieres asociar a tu Iglesia a la pasión de tu Hijo, concede a tus fieles que son perseguidos a causa de tu nombre, el espíritu de paciencia y caridad, para que sean hallados testigos fieles y veraces de tus promesas.  Por nuestro Señor Jesucristo, tu Hijo, que vive y reina contigo en la unidad del Espíritu Santo y es Dios por los siglos de los siglos.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of Good Remedy, that we may deepen our dedication to thy Son, and make the world alive with His Spirit.

Versión de nuestro video en español será incluido en la sección “Gallery” durante la semana del 13 de octubre, 2014.

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[1] Source: Papal envoy: Francis donated $1 million to Iraqi refugees, CNA/EWTN, August 22, 2014