(Ora with her pupils displaying their artwork and messages of love destined for the children of Iraq © Aid to the Church in Need)

ishtartv.com - ACN News: Tuesday 27th January 2015

In November last year the Australian office of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) received a letter from Ora Duffley, a school teacher from St Philomena School in Park Ridge, Queensland, asking if the charity could help get art work, letters and notes through to the Christian children stranded in Erbil (Kurdistan), after fleeing persecution from the militants of the Islamic State.

In her letter Ora wrote:“This project consists of sending letters and paintings of love, hope and encouragement to the Christian children in your care this Christmas. Perhaps through a simple child’s painting, through a little handwritten note or the promise of a prayer said, the children of Iraq and Syria can know that they are not forgotten. Perhaps a humble message of love from one child to another can bring a smile or a glimmer of hope, so that they know they are close to the heart of God, and through Him, close to the hearts of Catholic children in far-away Australia.”

Via correspondence between the Australian office of ACN and their HQ’s in Germany the parcel of letters, notes and artwork were hand delivered to the Iraqi school children by representatives of the charity. The ACN team was visiting Erbil to deliver further aid and to take part in the opening of the first prefabricated school that had been erected in record time to cater for the educational needs of the Iraqi children expelled from their homelands. The classrooms will also be used for catechetical instruction and other Church activities.

The newly opened school works two shifts, catering for 450 children in the morning and another group of 450 in the afternoon. There are plans to open another 7 schools over the coming months.

Recently Ora received the images of the Iraqi children receiving her school’s messages of love from the ACN representatives. She was quite moved by the experienced and in an email to the Australian office wrote: “The photos …. brought tears to my eyes, to see all those beautiful children who in spite of their heartache and fear have smiles on their faces and have made a human heart of love for us. It is so touching that though there are miles between us all, God's love shines through and that as Catholics we understand each other. We are family.”

ince the IS terrorist militia advanced into northern and western Iraq in June last year, more than 100,000 Christians in several waves had to flee from their home areas and leave everything behind. They mostly found refuge in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan. The bishops fear there will be an increasing exodus from Iraq if the people cannot be offered a life-line to return home, once it is safe to do so. Aid to the Church in Need has therefore made available aid to the tune of $6.5 million for the persecuted Christians over the past two years. This includes, among many other things, the acquisition of mobile homes and the provision of food.

To help this cause please send your donation to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 7246 BC Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 or ring through your credit card donation on 02 9679-1929 02 9679-1929. You can also donate online at www.aidtochurch.org

(Ora’s school community formed a human heart of love to show the children of Iraq that they love and care for them © Aid to the Church in Need)

(Refugee Iraqi children in Erbil with the artworks and stories from the children of St Philomena’s © Aid to the Church in Need)

(The school community of the displaced Iraqi children in Erbil form a heart to show their way of saying thank you to the students of St Philmena’s for their love and care towards them © Aid to the Church in Need)