Dunkeld’s Clackmannanshire parishes are setting their sights on two fund raising projects during Advent this year. In conjunction with St Mungo’s, Alloa, St Serf’s, Highvalleyfield and St John Vianney’s, Alva – parishioners at St Bernadette’s in Tullibody aim to send their aid through the Special Projects in Christian Missionary Areas (SPICMA), a Catholic Charity run entirely by volunteers.
The Sisters of the Blessed Virgin, in Tabaka, Kenya, run a training centre for girls and young women. They are particularly focused on helping vulnerable girls in danger of forced marriages. They approached us to request funding for sewing machines so that they can offer tailoring courses to enable the girls the prospect of employment, financial independence and a more dignified life. “We hope to raise £4,500 for sewing machines (SPICMA sent £3,000 earlier this year) for Sr Agnes Kwamboka’s project there,” said Fr Mike Freyne, parish priest at St Bernadette’s.
“The second project will raise £1,500 for pews (SPICMA sent £1,500 earlier this year) for Fr Albert Kalu in the Solomon Islands. SPICMA helped to fund the construction of a new church for a remote community at Fote, Malaita. Their previous church was made of bush materials and no longer fit for purpose. The building work is now largely complete and they approached us with one final request. They would like help to purchase the materials so that they can construct the pews.”