SUPPORTING OVERSEAS MISSIONS

By Fr Matthew McAuslin

Children helping Children

Missio is the New Zealand office providing for the Pontifical Every year this country school holds a special fun and Missions Societies. fundraising day that generously raises over $1,000 to help These societies are directly under the patronage of the Vatican stuck in and do so much good to help those in need overseas. Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. There are three Thank you Morrinsville! main arms or operations of the Pontifical Missions Societies children in need overseas. These country children really get which include the Propagation of the Faith (Mission Sunday), St So where does the money go and why is school involvement in Peter the Apostle (for the support of seminarians and religious missions so important? Well, the Holy Childhood Fund supports in the developing world) and the Holy Childhood Society. This a number of very important projects in the South Pacific, the latter operation, the Holy Childhood Society, in New Zealand Philippines and parts of Africa. Donations from New Zealand has always been run through the Catholic primary schools. go to a large number of very worthwhile projects to help in the It holds to the foundational principle of ‘children helping temporal and spiritual needs of vulnerable children. children’. And a key focus of this principle is on almsgiving For example, we have assisted significantly in helping the where schools raise money for the missions. Sunday School for children at Sacred Heart Parish in Kiribati. The local bishop informed us that they lack office equipment Throughout the diocese many schools get involved in (projector, printer, laptop), books and tables. The people are fundraising in a special Missions Day. One school in particular very poor and have limited opportunity for raising funds. They deserves special mention: St. Joseph’s School, Morrinsville. meet in an old local maneaba (meeting house) that was not able to meet the needs of the “These country children really get stuck in parish. But we have been able to help in meaningful ways so and do so much good to help those in need that the children can learn the overseas. Thank you Morrinsville!” Catholic faith in a much more comfortable setting.

Another project that we support is the Lujan Home for Girls in the Diocese of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea. Reverend Sr Maria Ancilla Humilis, SSVM runs the school and working with her we have helped with the purchase of school supplies: books, stationery. We have also been able to buy diesel for the car to bring children to school and to take them to the river to get water for cooking and cleaning at home. All these things have been greatly appreciated by the girls.

To the bottom right, are some of the children that we help as we support the work of nurse and teacher, Sr Marissa Valencia, in the Philippines. Sister runs a school for local disadvantaged children and greatly appreciates the financial support that she receives from New Zealand.

MissioNZ’s website is www.missio.nz and there you can learn about their philosophy and projects. If anyone would like to make a donation to the Holy Childhood fund one can donate online at the MissioNZ website or send a cheque to me at Fr Matt McAuslin c/o St. Joseph’s Parish, PO Box 7, Waihi, 3641.

STUDENTS AT ST JOSEPH’S, MORRINSVILLE

SR MARISSA VALENCIA AND CHILDREN

IN THE PHILIPPINES