Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Fides Service) - Christmas is a time for giving and “getting involved in charity can be a very rewarding experience for families, especially at Christmas” Father Terence Bell National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, or Catholic Mission as it is called in Australia, said in his ‘Catholic Mission Christmas appeal for children’.
With the appeal, “Charity begins at Home”, Father Bell called on Australian families to make charitable donations a part of their Christmas gift-giving: “It can be a great counter-balance to the over-commercialisation that all family members are bombarded with in the weeks before Christmas” he said.
Catholic Mission sponsors St Catherine of Siena Medical Centre in Mafoluku village on the outskirts of Lagos in Nigeria which provides assistance to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients. The project is one of many helping to change the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children The centre has little resources at its disposal and unfortunately these people cannot afford to pay their medical bills. Efforts are made to give patients retroviral drugs to prolong their lives but these are quite expensive. Australia has sent money to the clinic for drugs, food, educational resources, counselling services and staff.
“It is timely to remember that for many of the world’s children it is not a choice between computer games and mobile phones at Christmas, but a matter of where the next meal is coming from or whether or not they have access to shelter, education and medicine” Father Bell said.
In 2004 Catholic Mission, PMS Australia, helped fund projects for children in underdeveloped countries including India, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Indonesia and Albania. “This Christmas - Father Bell concluded- I invite all families to be part of this work. There is nothing more precious that the life of a child”.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/11/2004 Righe: 32 Parole: 332)
