Ireland’s Catholic Church leaders have urged parishioners to continue to speak out for an end to violence and for reconciliation in the Holy Land, as the Christmas season approaches.

Each year, ACN Ireland raises awareness of their plight via the annual Week of Witness, which this year runs from Sunday November 17 to Sunday November 24. A central part of the week-long solidarity campaign is ‘Red Wednesday’ on November 20th, when many cathedrals and parish churches have their exterior illuminated in red, the traditional colour of martyrdom.