From a kitchen table volunteer effort to a well-loved charity raising $7 million each year, Aid to the Church in Need Australia and New Zealand is celebrating 60 years of support for persecuted and suffering Christians.
ACN, which traces its origins to post-World War II Europe, was founded in 1947 as the Iron Curtin Relief Fund, to assist Christians persecuted and displaced by communist regimes. Its Australian arm was established in Sydney in 1965 by Fr Coenen, a close collaborator of founder Fr Werenfried van Straaten.
Early fundraising efforts were modest, and volunteer-led almost single-handedly by the Collignon family. Ann Collignon served as voluntary director from 1976 to 1990, and her brother, Phillip, served as national director from 1990 to 2017.
Over time, the organisation has grown into a respected national charity supporting pastoral projects worldwide. The local office contributes to ACN’s global work, funding more than 5000 projects worldwide.
These include subsistence help for clergy and religious, seminarian formation, church construction, pastoral transport, and emergency assistance for Christian refugees in areas where the local Church is affected by conflict, poverty and persecution.
In recent years, Aid to the Church in Need has seen increased engagement through initiatives such as Red November, with more than half the dioceses in Australia and New Zealand participating in 2025.
ACN is the only international Catholic charity dedicated to the service of suffering Christians wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. It operates solely on benefactor donations, with no funding from church or state.
To mark the milestone, Parramatta Bishop Vincent Long celebrated Mass for staff of Aid to the Church in Need.
ACN president Paul Woods said the anniversary highlights the steadfast commitment of Australian Catholics.
“Since the establishment of our national office in Australia, ACN has grown to the point where around 15,000 Australian benefactors donate approximately $7 million annually,” Mr Woods said.
“This year also marks an important milestone for ACN in the Asia Pacific, as ACN Australia formally expands fundraising operations into New Zealand.”
Bernard Toutounji, national director of Aid to the Church in Need Australia and New Zealand, said he couldn’t be prouder of – or more humbled by – the generosity and faithfulness of Australians in the past 60 years.
“What makes ACN unique is that we don’t just offer aid – we work to keep the faith alive, both in the persecuted Church abroad, and in the hearts of our benefactors here at home,” Mr Toutounji said.
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