Feb. 15, 2015: Men in orange jumpsuits purported to be Egyptian Christians held captive by the Islamic State (IS) are marched by armed men along a beach.
A new campaign sweeping through American churches has worshipers wearing orange - either in their Sunday best or on ribbons - to raise attention to the Christians executed at the hands of ISIS.
The trend draws on the color orange to represent the jump suits worn by captives of the terrorist group, including some 20 Egyptian Copts beheaded last month in Libya. The campaign comes on the heels of remarks by Pope Francis calling attention to the modern-day persecution of Christians around the world. The Rev. Frank Karwacki, of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Mount Carmel, Pa., hoped to draw attention to the plight of persecuted Christians by encouraging members of his congregation to wear orange ribbons and dress in the color.
“It’s so sad how they are being tortured—we need to get prayer power going.”- The Rev. Frank Karwacki
“We are all brothers and sisters in Christ,” Rev. Karwacki told FoxNews.com. “It’s so sad how they are being tortured—we need to get prayer power going.”
Karwacki said his church has long prayed for persecuted Christians, but he was spurred to action by the destruction and executions he saw from ISIS in the Middle East.
“They destroyed those ancient churches and killed so many of our Catholics there,” he said. “I’m hoping that other parishes and churches” join the orange campaign.
His efforts follow similar ones by others, including Catholic writer Rey Flores who declared ‘Orange is the New Color of Martyrdom’ in an article for The Wanderer.
“We see images of these Christians getting executed on a daily basis,” Flores told FoxNews.com. Related Image
Expand / Contract The Rev. Frank Karwacki, (c.), pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, in Mount Carmel, Pa., has encouraged the faithful to wear orange in support of persecuted Christians.
Flores has worked to draw attention to the #orangejumpsuit project run by Rev. Patrick Mahoney, who leads the Church on the Hill in Washington, D.C. The project uses social media and encourages people to wear orange in an effort to raise awareness of Christian persecution.
Flores says the project helps the issue of the persecution of Christians stand out from a steady stream of violence in media.
“I think people are sort of numbed with so many images that we’re inundated with,” Flores said.
Regardless, Flores recognizes the limits of protecting Christians under siege in the Middle East and elsewhere.
“There’s not much we can do,” he said. Related Image
But Lydia O’Leary believes Christians can do more.
O’Leary’s group, Ribbons for Rescue, aims to encourage people to call on lawmakers to provide more financial assistance for Christian refugees in the Middle East and offer them safe havens in the U.S. Her group advocates Christians wear orange every day to draw more attention to Christian prisoners persecuted for their religion.
“We call on people to wear orange daily,” O’Leary told FoxNews.com. It says “we’re standing with you on this—you’re not alone.”
So far more than a dozen churches in New Hampshire have joined O’Leary’s efforts, but she hopes to expand the group’s presence in other states.
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Rev Patrick Mahoney participating in the #orangejumpsuit campaign WASHINGTON, April 1, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ — The Stations of the Cross will begin at 12:00 P.M. at the Embassy of Iraq and end at the White House.
The Embassy of Iraq is located at:
3421 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
Participants will be wearing orange prison jumpsuits and stopping at embassies of the countries where Christians are facing the greatest persecution.
This is part of the #orangejumpsuit campaign which is occurring over Holy Week. The Facebook event page is below: www.facebook.com/events/964384006905262
#orangejumpsuit is based on the Bible verse Hebrews 13:3, which says, “Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them and those who are being mistreated as if you were suffering with them.”
The orange prison jumpsuit has become a worldwide symbol of Christians being persecuted, tortured and imprisoned for their faith.
The campaign will include things such as:
Fasting and prayer during Holy Week for the persecuted church
Wearing something orange on your Facebook profile picture
Massive presence on social media especially twitter
People wearing an orange prison jump suit in their daily life throughout the week
Walking across Washington, D.C. celebrating the Stations of the Cross in front of Embassies of countries where Christians are facing the most severe persecution
Walking the halls of Congressional office buildings in orange prison jumpsuits praying for the persecuted church.
The hope is to have thousands involved by Good Friday.
Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Pastor of Church on the Hill and Director of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington, D.C., states:
“Across the globe today, millions of Christians are facing brutality, violence and persecution for their faith. Last year alone, reports state that over 100,000 Christians were killed for the simple fact of following and loving Christ. “Hebrews 13:3 challenges the faith community to remember those who are in prison and being mistreated as if we were suffering and in prison with them. “That’s what the #orangejumpsuit campaign is all about. We are sending a powerful and public global message that we are praying and standing in solidarity with the persecuted church and they will never be forgotten. “We cannot be silent, indifferent or apathetic when Christians are being brutalized and attacked for their faith and beliefs. We must all work and pray for a world where no one is subjected to violence and persecution for their religious traditions and beliefs.”
Freedom for Christians
Feb. 15, 2015: Men in orange jumpsuits purported to be Egyptian Christians held captive by the Islamic State (IS) are marched by armed men along a beach.
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