| During the International Year of the Child, in 1983,
the Presentation Sisters founded a Cheshire Home for disabled
children in a remote town called Mongu in the Western
part of Zambia.
Soon after, Dorothy Rance, a parishioner of St Teresa's,
was developing the Justice and Peace initiative in Beaconsfield.
By happy chance she heard of the Home at Mongu through
a Sister Louis who explained that the main aim of the
Home was the rehabilitation of the handicapped child
through surgery, physiotherapy and education.
The need was desperate: polio and cerebral malaria
were wreaking havoc among the young of Zambia, and there
were such few resources there.
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And so the parish "adopted" the Home and for many years
has been raising money to help expand and maintain it.
Fund raising events are many and varied: from the annual
Fete which raises many thousands of pounds each year,
to the Sunday Mass Coffee Rota which pays for the postage
to send about 20 kgs of gifts for Mongu every few months.
Should you wish to make a donation please make cheques
payable to St.Teresa's Church and send to :- St Teresa's Presbytery
40 Warwick Road
Beaconsfield,
Buckinghamshire
HP9 2PL
UK
Mark back "Mongu"
if you want to giftaid please e mail the office
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Over the years, people as well as money and gifts have
gone to Mongu.
Fr George McCann visited the Home in 1990, followed
by the Hughes family two years later; then John Jolly
and, most recently, Katrina Kelly. Each year, one of
the Presentation Sisters visit our Parish, and two years
ago Mr. Ikaffa, Chairman of the Board of Governors for
the Home, came to our Fete and helped with the fundraising!
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In 1997 the Parish covenanted to maintain its support
for Mongu, and help is also being extended to a Care
Centre for young orphans and babies at Kaoma, about
200 kms from Mongu. That same year we installed a new
stained-glass window in the church to commemorate St
Teresa being declared a "Doctor of the Church."
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The Cheshire Children's Home, Mongu |
New stained glass window of St Teresa
of the Child Jesus |
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In it St Teresa holds the Bible with the words "Sicut
Parvuli" - "Become like children." Around her are depicted
children from the different continents of the world
and the 2 African faces are those of Kanyanga and Massaleeso,
children from the home at Mongu. Our links with Zambia
provide a focus for all the parishioners, from our children
who send Christmas gifts, to their parents and all who
are in many ways involved in the various fund raising
activities.
Some would say that the flow of benefits is very much
two way: Zambia contributes to the Parish in ways that
the people of Mongu do not realise.
Update 2007
Dear Friends,
Thank you very much
indeed for all your hard work and generosity in raising
money for the Cheshire Home in Mongu this year. As you
can see we raised nearly £23,000 this year which looked
absolutely improbable when we all gathered for the Fete
in the pouring rain this year!
We are able to present
the sisters with a cheque for £20,oo0 this year which
still leaves us a little money in reserve for
contingencies and making up for shortfall
over the last few years.
Congratulations and well
done to everyone.
Fr
Francis
St. Teresa's Fundraising for Mongu
Where did our money come from this year?
Year to 30th September
2006
2007
Ladies Lunch
204
37
Westminster Abbey visit
126
Confirmation Mass collection
181
Christmas cards
265
Folk Group
249
468
Crib - Donations,& service
(For postage of Christmas gifts) 382
605
First Communion Collection
171
832
Parish Supper
910
865
Christmas Car Parking
1,549 1,250
Lenten Alms Boxes
1,651
Lottery
2,364 2,426
Donations
3,005 3,181
Candles
3,086 3,383
Fete and Raffle
6,614 8,242
Malta pilgrimage
23
Rebecca's Bingo
395
Postage to Mongu
(320) (567)
(Christmas Gifts)
Totals
£18,632 £22,945
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Fr Francis Parish Priest of St Teresa's presenting the
2007 cheque to
Sr. Catherine of the Presentation Sisters for Mongu
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Mafaya and Chipango excited to be
mobile! |
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| For more pictures of Mongu, please click
here |
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