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.
| 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.
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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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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 2011
St. Teresa's Fundraising for Mongu
Where did our money come from this year?
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2007/08 |
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2008/09 |
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2009/10 |
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2010/11 |
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Fete/Raffle |
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8,922 |
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8,255 |
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9,520 |
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10,291 |
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Candles |
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3,704 |
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3,379 |
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3,123 |
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3,088 |
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Donations |
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4,001 |
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2,742 |
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1,444 |
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673 |
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Lottery |
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3,585 |
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1,886 |
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2,517 |
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3,002 |
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Lenten
Boxes |
1,652 |
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1,981 |
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1,345 |
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2,124 |
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Car Park |
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2,000 |
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2,250 |
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2,500 |
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3,000 |
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Parish
Supper |
0 |
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260 |
|
394 |
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5 |
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First
Communion Coll'n |
496 |
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812 |
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0 |
|
768 |
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Confirmation
Collection |
0 |
|
400 |
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0 |
|
420 |
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Crib
- Dons, raffle & service |
503 |
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626 |
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533 |
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-- |
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Folk Group |
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260 |
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380 |
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220 |
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320 |
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Folk
Group CD |
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508 |
|
42 |
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Christmas
cards and dons in lieu |
46 |
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230 |
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120 |
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105 |
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South
Bucks Catenians |
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2,000 |
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120 |
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Bag
collections |
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1,172 |
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Cards
for Good Causes |
750 |
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750 |
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750 |
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750 |
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Concert |
|
320 |
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440 |
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0 |
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Hick's
Ldn Marathon |
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518 |
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0 |
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Advent/Xmas
Gift Sales |
378 |
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445 |
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0 |
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703 |
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Wine
Tasting |
560 |
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0 |
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0 |
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Kidsathon |
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300 |
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0 |
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0 |
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Less:
Mongu Postage |
-451 |
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-715 |
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-264 |
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-440 |
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Votive
candles |
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£27,026 |
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£24,639 |
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£25,882 |
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24,971 |
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Fr Francis Parish Priest of St Teresa's presents the
2011 cheque to
Sr. Catherine of the Presentation Sisters for £23,000
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The Home in Mongu |
| For more pictures of Mongu, please click
here |
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