POPE LEO XIV
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In Turkey, where Christians make up just 0.1% of the population, Catholic priests face a quiet yet profound challenge: ministering to scattered, often struggling communities with little to no financial support. In this context, Mass stipends from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) offer more than material help — they are a lifeline of solidarity and hope.
“We do not forget you when we ascend to the Lord’s altar,” writes Fr. Massimiliano Testi, one of only 26 priests serving in the Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul. Originally from Italy, Fr. Massimiliano serves in a nation that was once a cradle of early Christianity. Today, though, the Church’s presence here is widely dispersed.
“We are unable to reach everybody,” he says, describing the sheer geographic challenge faced by Turkey’s small Catholic clergy.
Mass stipends — monetary offerings given for the intention of a Mass — have long been a way for the faithful to support clergy. But in places like Turkey, where parishes lack the resources to sustain their priests, these offerings take on an even deeper significance.
As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “The Christian faithful who are able are obliged to support the Church materially” (CCC 2043). This teaching resonates powerfully in Turkey, where that material support often comes from far beyond its borders.
Generosity from afar
One priest, who asked not to be named, serves a parish made up primarily of refugee families and African students. “We don’t receive any local aid to maintain the parish,” he explains. “That’s why your help is extremely important to maintain our religious community and also our parish.”
Despite their own hardships, his community continues to assist other families in need — living out a quiet witness of generosity in difficult times.
In Ankara, Fr. Seraphin Kazadi oversees not only a local parish but also a university chaplaincy in the city of Karabük. With no church building available, Fr. Seraphin rents a hall each week to celebrate Mass for some 80 students, most of them international.
The Mass stipends he receives help cover travel and rental costs and allow the chaplaincy to continue functioning.
“They support and run this chaplaincy for foreign students,” he says — students far from home, finding welcome and faith in a borrowed room.
Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro of Istanbul has expressed deep gratitude to ACN’s benefactors. “I want to express my deepest gratitude for the support you have provided,” he says, assuring them that their intentions are carried in prayer.
In 2024 alone, ACN supported over 40,000 priests with Mass stipends around the world — many in places where the Church cannot survive without outside help.
In Turkey, each offering is more than a gift: It is a reminder that the global Church is, indeed, one body.
