The people of Broken Bay gathered in Chatswood on Wednesday night to remember and pray for persecuted Christians around the world.
Our Lady of Dolours Church, Chatswood was drenched in red light, a symbol of the blood of the martyrs and those who suffer for their Christian faith across the globe.
Bishop Anthony Randazzo celebrated Mass and implored the people gathered to remember Red Wednesday was a call both to pray and to action.
“Today we gather for Red Wednesday, a day when the Church across the world pauses to remember, to pray for, and to stand in solidarity with Christians who suffer for their faith,” he said.
“It is a day for prayer, but it is also a day for courage. Together, we raise our voices to say to the world that religious persecution is intolerable. It is violent. It destroys lives, families, communities, and nations.
“My friends, on this Red Wednesday, we are called to prayer, but also to action. We must stand with persecuted Christians, not only with our hearts, but with our voices.”
He said there were tangible ways to make a difference in our world.
“We must speak out when governments fail to protect the vulnerable. We must support the Christian churches and organisations that advocate for religious freedom,” he said.
“We must work for peace in our region and beyond. And we must teach our children that faith is a gift worth defending, and that dignity belongs to every person, no matter where they live or what they believe.”
Red November is a global movement led by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), uniting tens of thousands of people to shine a spotlight on Christian persecution.
Cathedrals and churches across Australia and New Zealand were lit in red on Wednesday and many parishes held Masses and prayer vigils to pray for the persecuted Church.
According to ACN, 413 million Christians live in countries where religious freedom is severely restricted and 220 million are directly exposed to persecution.
Read Bishop Anthony's homily in full here.