A record 30 dioceses in Australia and New Zealand are commemorating Red November this month, to show solidarity with persecuted Christians suffering increased violence, persecution and human rights abuses worldwide. Source: ACN.
Red November is a global movement led by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, uniting tens of thousands of people to shine a spotlight on Christian persecution.
Cathedrals and churches across Australia and New Zealand will be lit in red, to symbolise the blood of the martyrs. Parishes will hold Masses and prayer vigils to pray for the persecuted Church. Schools, families and individuals will pray the Red Rosary, light candles, and share stories of persecuted Christians.
Participation in Australia and New Zealand has more than doubled in the past two years, with seven new cathedrals participating for the first time in 2025 including St Joseph’s Cathedral in Dunedin and St Patrick’s Cathedral in Toowoomba.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok, Australia’s first official ambassador for Red November, encouraged all Catholics to pray and offer Masses this Red November to spiritually strengthen the persecuted and honour today’s martyrs.
“Through Red Wednesday and Red November, we shine a light into places of darkness. We remind the world that behind statistics are real people: fathers and mothers, children and grandparents, whose only “crime” is the courage to believe, to pray, to live their faith,” Cardinal Bychok said.
“As a Ukrainian, I cannot speak about this reality without remembering our own history. Under Soviet rule, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was outlawed for more than four decades.
“Our bishops and priests were arrested, our churches were confiscated, our faithful forced underground.
“My own grandparents’ generation had to pray in secret, often in the quiet of their homes, not knowing if someone would denounce them. They lived in constant fear, yet their faith endured.
“This is why Red November matters. It is not just about remembering distant lands. It is about remembering that the freedom we enjoy today was purchased by the courage and sacrifice of those who came before us. …Their witness strengthens our faith, their sacrifice calls forth our love.”
Bernard Toutounji, national director of Aid to the Church in Need Australia and New Zealand, said the right to live out one’s faith is among the most targeted and alarming human rights issues of our time.
“This Red November, I invite all Australians and New Zealanders to pray for suffering Christians, to share their stories, and to support Aid to the Church in Need as we work to keep the flame of faith alive in places where it is most at risk of being extinguished.”
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Red November unites thousands to remember, pray for, and support persecuted Christians (ACN)
