International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

[3][4][5] The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is observed by many Christian denominations, with over 100,000 congregations honoring the holiday worldwide.

[1] Congregations focus on "praying for individuals, families, churches, or countries where Christians are facing hard situations.

[9] According to a 2019 review chaired by the Church of England's Bishop of Truro, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world.

[10] The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church originated in the 20th century to raise awareness of the increasing violence, torture, death, "worship restrictions, public humiliation, and social isolation" that some Christians face in atheist states, such as in North Korea, as well as in South Asia and the Middle East;[3][11] the observance was spearheaded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the World Evangelical Alliance, and the Southern Baptist Convention.

[1][13][12] The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church falls on the first Sunday of November, within the liturgical period of Allhallowtide, which is dedicated to remembering the martyrs and saints of Christianity.