Lent Fast Day is on Friday 2nd March and this year’s theme is Water. Did you know that one child under the age of five dies every 20 seconds because of dirty water? and that A child loses their life every 20 seconds from diarrhoea caused by dirty water?

This Lent your generosity is being recognised by the UK Government. With UK Aid Match funding they will match pound for pound every donation given to CAFOD! So, for every £1 you give, CAFOD will receive an extra £1 to help more of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged people.

Volunteers Angela and Lesley took us
through an example of a primary assembly and Peter showed us an example of a secondary assembly – plenty of bottles of dirty water! After lunch the volunteers were set the task of making a water filter – and if you would like to have a go, full instructions are on the website.

Primary schools are being asked to Make a Splash for Lent

CAFOD works in over 40 countries around the world, where we play our part in tackling the water and sanitation crisis. For example, in villages in Zimbabwe and Zambia, we drill community boreholes, provide families with latrines and encourage people to get involved in health and hygiene training.

Secondary Schools are asked to “Give it up” for Lent. Lent is a time when we stop and reflect on our lives. It’s a time when we are encouraged to feel closer to God, and to think about the lives of others. By giving it up for CAFOD you can express the transformative message of Lent: the changes that you make and the actions that you take can create a lasting transformation in the lives of people living in poverty.

YOU can get involved NOW! Our faith calls us to act – to let justice flow like a river Email the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and call on him to lead the world in demanding clean water and safe sanitation for all. Together, we can turn the tide on water poverty.

In that spirit of reflection, we are asking volunteers, supporters and other friends of CAFOD to look back over their lives, recall the moment when they were first drawn into the fight against poverty and injustice, and share those stories with others.

For many of us, it was a news broadcast, a photo, a speech or a great individual who first inspired us. For some, it was a film, book or a story from the Bible. And for others, it was the personal experience of taking a trip abroad or seeing the kindness of others first hand. The events, experiences and people which have inspired us are as diverse as we are, but we can recognise in each others’ testimonies common bonds: the awakening of compassion for others; and the discovery of a world outside our own.

Dermot O’Leary, supporter and TV presenter, writes:

“I would have been 11, just starting secondary school at the time of the Ethiopian famine of 1984/85. There was Live Aid coming up and CAFOD was appealing in the school at the same time. I just remember feeling terribly guilty when I saw the CAFOD posters in the school corridors showing what was happening in Ethiopia. For a safe suburban lower middle class white boy, it was quite a scary thing to look at, and it made me start thinking about what was happening out there, but also what we could do to help.”

Chris Bain, Director, writes:

“For me there were two strong influences. The first was my mother, herself a migrant from southern Europe, who stood up to racists in our street protesting at black families living in neighbouring houses. This was in the late ‘60s just after Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech and was at huge personal cost as previous friends shunned her. If my mother’s action moulded my values then a speech given by a South African Dominican, Picton Mbatha OP, at a Catholic society Mass during my university days really set my flame alight. He talked of life under apartheid, of poverty in his parish in the townships, a quarter of the children dying before they were five and of members of his family being imprisoned. It was the first time I heard someone say: “And the worst thing you can do after this talk is nothing!” It led to me taking development economics options in my degree, becoming an activist for Third World First, and volunteering for VSO after leaving university. That was many years ago, but each time I visit our programmes today, my thirst for justice and fairness is renewed. And talking to CAFOD staff and volunteers, they will always say the same. We remember what first lit our flame, but looking around us at the poverty, suffering and injustice still facing millions of our brothers and sisters around the world, and the vital role the Church plays in helping them, that flame burns brighter than ever.”

So please share with us your stories, and let us share them with the wider community of CAFOD supporters and partners throughout the world. Whatever age we are, whatever background we come from, and however different our stories are, we are united by our fire for justice. So let us share that fire, and celebrate our unity. To tell us what lit your flame, visit our blog or leave a comment below.

“The funeral will be held on Friday 20th January at 12noon at Our Lady and St Georges RC Church, Walthamstow, E17 9HU www.olsg.co.uk

We’ll be having a mass followed by a few memories of mum and her favourite music. Afterwards the family and close friends will be going to the crematorium.

There is some free parking on the roads around the church although please do double check the spot you’re in isn’t a resident’s permit bay as the wardens are eagle eyed. The church is a 15min walk from Walthamstow Central Tube Stn.

Mum will be received into the church the night before the funeral (Thursday 19th Jan). The church will be open for prayers from 6pm-9pm. Please don’t feel obliged to come to the church on Thursday evening but you’re very welcome if you’d like to join us.

If you are thinking of sending flowers we would prefer if you could rather make a donation to a charity

We’ve set up a donations page at justgiving. This is in aid of CAFOD who Mum did a lot of fundraising work with in her latter years.

We are also donating to the Royal Albert Hall Trust (RAHT) who, through their educational programme, enable young people who might otherwise have little opportunity to experience live performance or visit the Hall. More detailed information is here
My mum often visited the RAH and would have loved to have given the opportunity to experience it to young people. I could just see her organising a field trip there!

Once again thanks for all your support and kind messages. Do please feel free to send this on to anyone who knew Mum.”

Christine with Christina Kalpee at a recent parish event

Christine has been a long time supporter of CAFOD through her time as Head teacher in Walthamstow and as a member of the Our Lady & St George parish J&P Group. More recently Christine was the CAFOD volunteer in the parish and was training to be a Schools Volunteer.

She was an enthusiastic and giving person and this was shown to its full extent when she hosted Zeza and Heluiza during their visit to the parish from Brazil as part of the Connect2 programme.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her daughter, Laura and her family and also to everyone whose lives were touched by Christine.

The funeral will be held on Friday 20th January at 12noon at Our Lady and St Georges RC Church, Walthamstow, E17 9HU www.olsg.co.uk

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen

Joanna with Christine

Jonathan Rodwell, chair of J&P group with Christine

Places are limited, so please do respond to Lizzette@progressio.org.uk a.s.a.p. if you would like to attend.

Full details attached here >> Event on Haiti for 11 January 2012

See the difference you have made here

Read more by clicking the Supporters newsletter – December 2011

And if you would like to see and hear an even better version of “the Twelve Days of Christmas” watch this short video from All Saints School in Dagenham!

Denise, Joanna and Mary

The office will be closed from Thursday 22 December and re-open on Wednesday 4 January 2012.

Parish Contact Martin Humphries organised A Mass to Remember the effects of HIV/AIDS on Families and Children. There was a powerful act of solidarity when those gathered were invited to pin red ribbons to a cross on the altar. Beautiful music enhanced the Mass.

Denise and Joanna gave a talk on the work of CAFOD where they are supporting 150 HIV projects in 24 countries and Davina Bolt from the Commission for Justice & Social Responsibility wrote and read the bidding prayers.

We would like to thank Martin, the musicians, Fr Hugh and Fr Ivor and everyone who attended or input into the Mass.

The event took place at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium – Dermot is a lifelong Arsenal supporter.

15 tables competed in the quiz and Joanna, Denise and members of their families (Nick, Stuart, Tom and Lucy) took table 9. Unfortunately their combined sporting knowledge was not enough to make a dent on the leader board!

Dermot was a fantastic host and took time out to speak with everyone present and even pose for a couple of pictures with Joanna and Denise. He also signed a football that is being raffled on CAFOD Brentwood’s Facebook.

Dermot’s parents, Sean and Maria, are volunteers for CAFOD Brentwood and it was lovely to meet Dermot’s fiancee, Dee.

Sr Elizabeth has been a long time supporter of CAFOD, including time as the CAFOD librarian for 10 years from 1984 – 1994. Elizabeth was also a long-term campaigner on climate issues. The CAFOD Brentwood office received great support from Elizabeth and Joanna was pleased to have been able to visit last week and spend some time with her.

Her funeral Mass will be at 11am on Thursday 1 December at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Wanstead. Reception the evening before.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Sr Elizabeth’s family and many friends at this time.

Full address:
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
51 Cambridge Park,
London,
E11 2PR

The main celebrant will be Fr Frank Nally SSC

Nearest tube is Wanstead on the Central Line (less than 10 mins walk from the church)

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen

There was a full afternoon of films about the work of CAFOD and our partners, quizzes and information. We were very pleased that Fr Graham Smith was able to join us for part of the afternoon. Thank you to Tony and Lis Castle for organising the visit.

At the end of the afternoon, CAFOD Brentwood joined the congregation for Mass, with the Confirmation candidates leading for National Youth Sunday. It was also nice to see Jon Cornwall from Walsingham House!

If you would like the CAFOD Brentwood office to visit your parish, please contact the office on 0208 502 9722.