Blessed Sacrament, Chelmsford, from Pancakes to Water Droplets!

Lent has been a busy time for the J&P group at Blessed Sacrament in Chelmsford.

Eileen Webster writes:

“The J&P group organised a total of 7 Lenten lunches – all inspired by the £ for £ promise. Total raised from 7 lenten lunches = £1074.50 (doubled this makes £2149.00!!!!!)

Christine Traynier

The first was a pancake lunch and pre-Lent fundraiser hosted by Christine Traynier (pictured with Tricia McCaul and Jean Sporle who both helped).

The group also arranged a Thirst for Change campaign card signing and displayed the water droplets on the J&P board and also organised a display of 50th anniversary cakes!

L to R Sheila and Barry Mayo, Jean Sporle and Margaret Fox

L to R Jerry O'Mahoney, Christine Bailey, Irene Zeller, and Mangalam children.

The parish was also pleased to welcome CAFOD speaker Sylvia Lanz over the weekend of 3/4th March.”

Thank you to everyone involved!

St Thomas of Canterbury, Woodford Green, Quiz Night raises nearly £3000!

David Underwood writes: “Many thanks to all those parishioners who supported the CAFOD 50th Anniversary quiz night held in the Becket Centre on 10th March. A magnificent sum of £1,383 was raised which included a donation of £500 from HSBC. With the government matching this £1 for £1 through their match aid scheme and a further £115 raised through the traditional gift aid scheme, the full amount raised was £2,881 – being equivalent to providing 87 families with clean water, or training 288 community members to maintain a borehole.”

L-R, Chris Bell (Quiz Master) and David Underwood (Parish Contact and organiser of the quiz)

The event was well attended, with teams from various groups in the parish alongside teams from St Anne Line in Woodford and St Edmunds in Loughton. Congratulations to the winning team – Team Roberts.

The winners - Team Roberts - from St Thomas' Parish

The Quiz Markers kept order, making sure answer sheets were collected promptly! Thank you to everyone involved, David, Chris, Elaine, Lorcan and Fintan and also the CWL for providing refreshments. The quiz was held during Fairtrade Fortnight and thank you to Equal Exchange and Liberation Nuts for providing samples of their products. And finally, thank you to everyone who donated prizes for the raffle and to everyone who attended.

Elaine, Lorcan and Fintan Canavan (Quiz Markers)

If you would like to hold a quiz for CAFOD in your parish or school (there is also a quiz for young people available), details can be found here >>

These quiz nights can get very competitive, and for those in the know, “Aspire not to have more but to be more” is definitely attributable to Archbishop Oscar Romero!

EVENT: Sunday 6th May – Join Team CAFOD at the Harlow Water Tower Abseil

Take the plunge for CAFOD … and double your sponsorship money*

The annual 110ft Charity Abseil down Harlow Water Tower takes place on Sunday 6th May

In our 50th year we would love to have 50 abseilers for Team CAFOD, helping the world’s poorest families gain access to clean water and sanitation. Participants must be over 16 years and there is no upper age limit. There is a £30 entry fee (to the organisers, Harlow Tye Rotary Club, which is not match funded)

For further information and application form, email brentwood@cafod.org.uk

Watch a video from the 2009 event on Youtube

* Through our Lenten appeal we have the unique opportunity to double the money you raise with UK Aid Match funding. For every pound you give the Government will give £1, helping us to change even more lives.

Lent 2012 Newsletter now online

Zimi pumping water at the borehole near her school

“Water is a precious gift. It should be shared by all the people on earth”

says Zimi, aged 10 and from Zimbabwe.

Such wise words at such a young age.

Our Lent newsletter has all the information you need to support CAFOD’s Fast Day appeal and please hold people like Zimi in your prayers as you “Give it up! for water this Lent.

Read more

STOP PRESS

This Lent your generosity is being recognised by the UK Government. With UK Aid Match Funding they will match £1 for £1 every donation given to CAFOD. So for every £1 you given between 17 February and 17 May, CAFOD will receive an extra £1 to help even more of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged people.

The newsletter also includes details of sponsored events taking place over the next couple of months – so if you fancy the 110ft abseil from Harlow Water Tower, or the bike ride through Lea Valley, take a look at the newsletter or email brentwood@cafod.org.uk or call 020 8502 9722 for full information. See what happened last year here >>

Students from St Angela’s & St Bonaventure’s 6th form walk from Westfield to “Eastfield”

Florence Ross, St Angela’s & St Bonaventure’s 6th form writes:

Mr Ryan’s form class along with a number of other sixth formers walked over 13 miles on 3rd December – from Westfield, Shepherd’s Bush to “Eastfield”, Stratford – and raised nearly £400 for CAFOD along the way. The group of 19 students, accompanied by Miss Crystal and Mr Ryan, were glad the weather held out so that they could complete their ambitious six-hour trip.

Some sightseeing highlights along the way included the Prince Albert Memorial, Downing Street, the Horseguards’ Parade, Buckingham Palace and the Christmas markets at Southbank.

The students enjoyed the day and were glad to be supporting such a good cause, but were certainly glad to reach the finish line at Stratford!

December 2011 Newsletter now online

On the first day of Christmas the Brentwood December newsletter gave to me … one World AIDS Day Mass … two new office volunteers … three Fast Day stories … four sponsored events … five Christmas fayres … six stories from young people … seven opportunities to take action … eight parishes supporting Connect2:

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

Joanna, Denise and Mary would like to say thank you to all our supporters and volunteers for making 2011 such an amazing year and we wish you all a peaceful and Holy Christmas.

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

Dermot O’Leary hosts sporting quiz for CAFOD

On Thursday November 24th, Dermot O’Leary took a break from his hectic X Factor schedule to help raise funds for CAFOD.

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.

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Confirmation Group Holy Family and All Saints Witham put Faith into Action

Schools Volunteer Linda Orr gave a presentation to this year’s confirmation group at Holy Family and All Saints parish in Witham.

All 23 candidates aged between 14 and 16 years old were then set 2 challenges to be completed during the six weeks of the summer holidays.

The first challenge was to each produce a poster advertising CAFOD’s work and these were then displayed in the church to highlight Harvest Fast Day.

Harvest Poster Display

The second challenge was to try and raise some money for CAFOD. Each candidate was given £5 and asked to use the money and their talents to raise some money for CAFOD in any way that they wished.

The group put their talents to good use and raised money through a variety of ways. Some baked and sold cakes, cookies and sweets, others did different chores from watering plants to washing cars, dog walking and ironing. One candidate did a sponsored silence and a couple of the young people sold some of their possessions on e bay. Another 2 candidates organised a raffle whilst another simply asked for donations from family and friends.

The group managed to raise £323 in total and increased the profile of CAFOD in the parish through their poster display and announcing what they had achieved at all the parish masses.

Performance of “The Journey” by Meditation 15th October 2011

Performers: Michael Wigley, Pat and Charlotte Ezra, Donatella Bartin, Thom Friedlein

The J&P Group at Our Lady and St George, 132 Shernhall Street, Walthamstow E17 9HU warmly invite you to join them on Saturday 15th October at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) for a performance by Kelvedon based Christian folk band, Meditation. “The Journey” is a reflection on the life of Jesus in readings and songs.

Proceeds from this performance will be donated to CAFOD Connect2 Brazil.

Meditation performed “The Journey” at Brentwood Theatre and the reviews were wonderful. It promises to be a lovely evening of powerful readings and beautiful music.

Tickets are available from Christine on 07796 382567 or Tim on 07981 657729 (Tickets £5, half-price for concessions)

Listen to an accoustic version of “Song of Yahweh Forsaken” by Seamus Mullholland & Chris Hawkins performed by Michael in the Phoenixfm Studio, Brentwood here >>

Find out more about Meditation

Canon Palmer School, Seven Kings, lend their support to Sudan

Ms Semambo

School Chaplain, Sue Judge and the RE Department, including teacher Gina Semambo, have been leading the school in 9 days of prayers for peace in Sudan. It has been arranged for the prayers to be broadcast around the school to enable everyone to take part during their morning prayers.

The school is also supporting the East Africa appeal during their International Evening by fundraising and also selling various CAFOD resources to parents, staff and students. Ms Semambo’s Years 7 and 8 have designed posters to raise awareness of CAFOD during the evening. Other fundraising efforts included a non-uniform day.

Ms Semambo

Thank you to all schools in the diocese who have either supported CAFOD in prayer or by fundraising.