The CAFOD Day celebrated on 18th September was the culmination of much hard work led by Anita and Geoff Stone, our CAFOD representatives, and Annette and Emily Wake and David Law who prepared the Children’s Liturgy and and arranged the special CAFOD mass, introduction and Prayers of Intercession, read by the children.  Our thanks must also go to the music group of young people who provided an accompaniment with organ, violins and guitar for the hymns.  We were very pleased to welcome Sarah Smith-Pearse, the CAFOD representative for connect2 who helped us to set up our dialogue with Puentecitos, El Salvador, by means of Power Point and Dvd’s.  Just before the end of Mass Fr. Rory asked the community to sit to watch a Power Point presentation which Sarah and the villagers had put together during her last visit there.  We were touched by their messages of thanks and friendship and also by their amazing enthusiasm and resourcefulness.  The cost of items and services in the village enabled us realise how much they were able to do with the money sent to them.  Fr. Rory pointed out that we should use this as a basis for prayer in encouraging us in generosity to our brothers and sisters in other countries.
Fr. Rory presented Sarah with a cheque for £814.35 which brings to a total of £1000 the amount raised over the year.

After the Mass there was a great celebration in our parish hall with  a CAFOD Sales table.  A cake stall and raffle raised a further £125.  Teas, coffees and soft drinks were served to all together with cream and jam scones.  A greetings card containing many photos of the life of our community and the town and signed by a great number of people was presented to Sarah for the village of Puentecitos  in November.

Our thanks and congratulations go to all who worked so hard to make it a succes.

Photographs – Bill O’Rourke, A.F.
For more photos got to our Photo Gallery