About the Photographer
In 2014, American Catholic lawyer Stephen Rasche took the role of Legal Counsel and Coordinator for displaced persons for the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil, which was largely responsible for the care of homeless Christians who had fled their homes in Nineveh Governorate. For four years, Rasche lived and worked in service to the displaced Iraqi Christians. Beginning in 2020, Rasche extended the scope of his work to include visits in Nigeria, helping support Catholic run healthcare, education, and Catechetical teaching among the displaced.
Rasche, who is a member of the Knights of Columbus, currently serves as Director of the Institute for Catholic Humanitarian Service at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. He is also a Senior Fellow for International Policy at the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington D.C., a contributing scholar at the Kukah Centre in Abuja, Nigeria, and a lay advisor with the National Catholic Secretariat in Nigeria working in multiple dioceses throughout the country. In Iraq, Rasche continues to serve as counsel to the Archdiocese of Erbil and as senior advisor to the Catholic University in Erbil.
Additional Resources
Lawyer’s Heart Surgery Leads Him on ‘Different Path’ to Serve Persecuted Christians| National Catholic Register
‘The more they’re persecuted, the more they believe’