Police officers watch as altar servers enter the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver for the funeral of police officer Eric Talley. / Ted Mast.
Denver Newsroom, Dec 30, 2021 / 12:00 pm (CNA).
The Catholic Church has many heroic individuals, and CNA was fortunate to cover some of their stories this past year. We invite you to read about 10 heroic people and projects we covered in 2021—from doctors and healthcare workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, to underground bishops, religious, and refugees living in war-torn countries.
Afghan Christian’s plea to CNA: ‘You are my last hope’
Kareem* first contacted CNA on Aug. 24, amid the exodus of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. By that time, he had bid a painful goodbye to his family and joined throngs of other Afghan civilians at the gates to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, the Afghan capital. The Taliban had killed his father and brother because both men, who were Muslim, had worked with allied forces during the war. In the frenzy leading up to the Biden administration’s Aug. 31 exit deadline, Afghan civilians—like Kareem—and their advocates turned to aid groups, well-connected insiders, and anyone else they could think of asking for help, before it was too late.
*Kareem is a pseudonym used to protect his safety.
Kareem is a young Christian desperately trying to flee #Afghanistan. He's been communicating with @cnalive for several weeks. This week on @CNANewsroom, we tell his story.
— CNA Newsroom by Catholic News Agency (@CNAnewsroom) September 14, 2021
Listen here:https://t.co/HQwaPU7ew6 pic.twitter.com/ghgAz4o0zz
Myanmar Catholic nun says Eucharistic adoration gave her strength to kneel before police
On March 8, Sr. Ann Rose Nu Tawng captured the world’s attention when she knelt before police in the city of Myitkyina, urging them not to use violence against protesters after Burma’s military coup. The religious sister said that the Holy Spirit prompted her to kneel between the police and protesters and that she drew her strength from prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, has experienced some of the worst violence as security forces continue to crack down on protesters of the Feb. 1 military coup.
