APRE News
This week at Holy Spirit, we value stewardship. The earth and all life on it are part of God’s creation and we are called to respect this gift. We are responsible for taking care of the world we live in and for sharing all the wonders and resources the earth gives us. Our changing environment prompts us to stop and think about how we live on our planet. As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to respond and to adopt new ways of living as Pope Francis highlights in his encyclical, Laudato Si': On the Care of our Common Home. Project Compassion is Caritas Australia's annual Lenten fundraising and awareness-raising appeal. Millions of Australians come together in solidarity with the world's poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. Over the coming weeks, a feature story from the Caritas Australia website will be shared. You can find out more and how our donations by using the Project Compassion boxes will help by visiting https://lent.caritas.org.au/#blank
This year’s theme for Project Compassion is ‘100% HOPE – Lives change when we all give 100%.’ The first week’s feature story is ‘100% DETERMINATION’ with twelve year old Thandolway from Zimbabwe. Life in her village in north-western Zimbabwe wasn’t easy for twelve-year-old Thandolwayo. Her father left several years ago and her mother lives in a town 90 kilometres away where she works as a casual labourer. Thandolwayo lives with her grandparents and attends the local school which has just 35 students. Every morning she’d walk seven kilometres and risk being attacked by crocodiles as she collected clean water for her family. She’d then go to school feeling exhausted. Thandolwayo’s grandparents sell pearl millet bran to fishermen and farmers for animal feed. They also sell chickens - but the income it brings isn’t enough to support the family.
Thandolwayo’s hope to be a nurse seemed almost impossible to realise, until Caritas Hwange helped the village to install two solar-powered pumps to draw the water up from the river, as well as two 10,000 litre storage tanks. Thanks to Caritas’ support, water is now on tap in the village, benefitting its 500 residents - and Thandolwayo can concentrate on her education. “Now I can bathe every day, the distance to collect water for the family has been drastically reduced,” Thandolwayo says. “We now drink clean, safe water and diseases are no longer affecting us.” The plentiful water supply has also triggered new ventures. Water is being used to mould bricks for building houses and to pound maize to sell. Plans are underway to establish a community garden and a fish pond, to generate a better income.
Next Tuesday, 5th March, is Shrove Tuesday. In ancient times, this was a day of celebration, when there were processions and people feasted together before they entered a time of fasting and prayer during Lent. Today, many still follow this tradition by eating pancakes. This is associated with the ancient custom of eating the last supplies of milk, flour and eggs before the beginning of Lent. A number of leaders from Year 6 will be attending the Caritas Project Compassion Appeal Launch which will be taking place at St Joseph the Worker Church, Stuart Drive, Wulguru.
Lent also begins next week with Ash Wednesday on the 6th March. Our Grade 3 to 6 students will be attending Mass in the Church with Fr John at 9am and our P-2 students will have a Liturgy in the Lynch Family Hall at 8:40am. Everyone is welcome to attend.
God Bless
Caroline