Fathar Alan stand infront of the locked church doors. He does not wear a crucifix as it's iconography is very much disliked by muslims.
He does however wear his dog collar out on the street

The Virgin Mary adorns the Church wall as the Sunday service takes place

Leonarda 'Bing' Asibil (left)
'It's very easy being a Christian in Libya. Most Muslims are very tolerant, there's just a few who have a very conservative interpretation of their faith and make life difficult for us.

Fathar Alan stand infront of the locked church doors. He does not wear a crucifix as it's iconography is very much disliked by muslims.
He does however wear his dog collar out on the street

Two Muslim women walk past the locked entrance to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

The Hymn Sheet for the Sunday Service. it's illegal to distribute Christian literature in Libya.

More than 100 Christians have been imprisoned and accused of trying to convert Libyans.

In Acts, attention is given to the religious persecution of the early Christians, as in the case of Stephen's martyrdom and the numerous examples are Paul's persecution for his preaching of Christianity.

As their numbers increase, the Christians begin to be increasingly persecuted. Some of the apostles are arrested and flogged, but ultimately freed. Stephen, one of the first deacons, is arrested for blasphemy, and after a trial, is found guilty and executed by stoning by the Jews, thereby becoming the first known Christian martyr.

Peter and the apostles continue to preach, and Christianity continues to grow, and begins to spread to Gentiles

Father Allan reads 'Acts of the Apostles ' from the New Testament

As Father Alan takes mass in Benghazi’s Immaculate Conception Catholic Church a young Libyan sits in the doorway wearing Adidas tracksuit bottoms and a football shirt and holding an elderly looking sawn-off shotgun.

Immaculate Conception is the city’s last functioning church after gunmen attacked the Greek Orthodox Church in March assaulting the priests and setting it on fire.

Since the revolution the church has been broken into twice and it’s only five minutes away from an open-air gun market but its priests say the only thing that will make them close the church is if the government asks them to leave.

Father Alan begins the Sunday Service. The small congregation is made up of mainly Philipino natives.

As Father Alan takes mass in Benghazi’s Immaculate Conception Catholic Church a young Libyan sits in the doorway wearing Adidas tracksuit bottoms and a football shirt and holding an elderly looking sawn-off shotgun.

Immaculate Conception is the city’s last functioning church after gunmen attacked the Greek Orthodox Church in March assaulting the priests and setting it on fire.

Since the revolution the church has been broken into twice and it’s only five minutes away from an open-air gun market but its priests say the only thing that will make them close the church is if the government asks them to leave.

A member of the congregation reads from the New Testament

Three Nuns visiting from India take their pews. They are visiting Benghazi to volunteer in the local hospital.

As Father Alan takes mass in Benghazi’s Immaculate Conception Catholic Church a young Libyan sits in the doorway wearing Adidas tracksuit bottoms and a football shirt and holding an elderly looking sawn-off shotgun.

Immaculate Conception is the city’s last functioning church after gunmen attacked the Greek Orthodox Church in March assaulting the priests and setting it on fire.

Since the revolution the church has been broken into twice and it’s only five minutes away from an open-air gun market but its priests say the only thing that will make them close the church is if the government asks them to leave.

Father Alan leaves the congregation to conclude the service.

As Father Alan takes mass in Benghazi’s Immaculate Conception Catholic Church a young Libyan sits in the doorway wearing Adidas tracksuit bottoms and a football shirt and holding an elderly looking sawn-off shotgun.

Immaculate Conception is the city’s last functioning church after gunmen attacked the Greek Orthodox Church in March assaulting the priests and setting it on fire.

Since the revolution the church has been broken into twice and it’s only five minutes away from an open-air gun market but its priests say the only thing that will make them close the church is if the government asks them to leave.

Philip Chukiaiuma
'As you can see there are children running around. Everyone feels safe here. We just try to keep to our prayer and take care of our people.'

Nigerian children play in the courtyard of the church. It's a safe haven away from the congested streets of the city