Peace in Assisi: A New Bridge with the Catholic Church

In August 2026, Deeper Roots Foundation was honored to speak at the first peace summit in Assisi, Italy — the city of St. Francis, who died 800 years ago and is still remembered as a peacemaker.

The summit gathered policy makers, church leadership, and advocates from across the globe. It was there that I was blessed to share the stage with Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon and a tireless voice for the persecuted church in Myanmar — a nation caught in the middle of civil war and religious persecution.

A new connection with the Catholic Church

Cardinal Bo lives and serves in a country where believers and non-believers alike are suffering. Together we were able to share valuable information for the safety of all people, and to continue in prayer for those who carry the cost of faithfulness in places of conflict.

"Live by the sword and die by the sword. We are not looking for escalation in Myanmar, nor in Nigeria and other locations globally — instead we pray and deploy for the safety of all."

That conviction — to pray and deploy — is at the heart of everything Deeper Roots Foundation does. It is why we stand with the persecuted church in Nigeria's Middle Belt through One Voice: Christ Over Culture, and why we train and protect through Rhino Regiment and Phronimos.

An open door to the Vatican

Cardinal Bo and other Catholic leaders have invited us back to the Vatican to continue this conversation, and we have also been invited to Myanmar. These doors are not opened by ambition — they are opened by faithful presence, by showing up in the hard places, and by building trust across denominational lines.

What this means for the mission

• Unity across the body of Christ — standing with our Catholic brothers and sisters for the persecuted church.
• Continued deployment — bringing security training and threat awareness to those on the front lines of persecution.
• Prayer without ceasing — for Myanmar, for Nigeria, and for every place where the faithful are tested.

We are grateful for every ally who makes this work possible. Please continue to pray for wisdom, for safe travel, and for the doors God is opening between Deeper Roots Foundation and the global church.