On the 5th November, the pupils and teachers of St Richard’s and St Mary Magdalene’s went to St Richard’s Catholic College for a Farewell Mass for Father Chris, for he was going to move to Redhill, to a new parish. He celebrated all our school masses, went on trips, and especially the PGL trip, where, even though he was afraid of heights, went up on the Big Swing anyway.  Even on his day off, he didn’t mind at all, but we would always return the favour by helping him at home and we will miss him dearly. The mass, buffet and talk were also a tribute for Father Peter who after the buffet talked about the street children of Colombia.

As a priest he lived out there to carry on with his work to help give the street children a chance to live a proper life. He set up an organisation called ‘Let The Children Live’ because of what the street children did for him when someone stole his money when he went on holiday there as a child, and the children thought it was funny that a tourist didn’t have any money. The children had been abandoned or had run-away. When he got back to England, he asked the Bishop if he could do something about it, so the Bishop agreed that he should and so he became Catholic and a priest. When he went on the holiday he had vacation from England but instead found his vocation.

In Columbia, there is a lot of crime and drugs, so it is very dangerous for the children, especially with the gangs, with hardly any food, drink or shelter.  Some of the lucky ones had a family but most of them were poor, living on a man-made dump and making shelter out of what they could find. Father Peter’s job along with some helpers from Columbia was to set up this organisation and they went round to each child gaining their trust, and helping them to live a proper life.  They feed them a decent meal a day and make sure they have medical treatment for the injuries they had, and all the basics they need like food, drink, shelter, safety, education.  The main problem is that some of them die of malnutrition or are murdered.

Most are very smart and if they survive get a degree, go to university and some have a doctor’s or nurse’s diploma.

Sophie
(Photo – poor in bogota, Wikkimedia)