Join with Srs Teresa McMenamin and Mary Clare Mason, Daughters of Jesus in England, as they participate in an international development agency celebration in a unique and evocative location.
A Christian initiative
A celebration during Lent? A contradiction in terms? … A different way of thinking? … A truth? … Surely a truth when what we are celebrating is a Christian initiative: CAFOD, The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. Developed over sixty years ago and working in forty different countries to tackle poverty and injustice, CAFOD is one of the largest development agencies in the United Kingdom.
A history like our own
So, how are the Daughters of Jesus involved in such a charity celebration? Partly it is because its foundation was similar to ours, but also because our Province, now become a District, has contributed to this charity over many years. CAFOD started with a small group of women on the Caribbean island of Dominica becoming aware of the needs of the people around them and wanting to do what they could about it. They had heard in the deepest sense of the word, the message of Jesus in the Gospel of St Matthew, chapter 25, that what is done for the “little ones” is done unto Him. They knew that the needs were more than external ones and brought to it an attitude of heart as well as mind and hands. That mustard seed has grown into one of the largest charities in this country.
The Celebration is an event that takes place yearly across the country to :
- raise awareness of the many needs.
- thank all those who work for the Charity in so many areas of the UK and elsewhere.
- Recognise and thank the many donors who support the Charity.
A place of faith and history
This year it was in Arundel in the beautiful Sussex countryside. At the invitation of the Duke of Norfolk, a Mass was celebrated in the Fitzalan chapel of the castle. Currently, the oldest surviving ducal title in the British Isles, the Duke is the premier non-royal peer. The family has historically been Catholic, paying a heavy price for that loyalty during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Surrounded by a thousand years of history and the amazing beauty of the Castle, it was impossible not to be overcome by thoughts of the many events of those days and since … and through it all, the faith has grown and spread.
What a privilege to be invited to share this with the CAFOD Team and the other supporters, and what an atmosphere of friendship and prayer as we gathered in the chapel for Mass. A small choir accompanied us with music by the 16th-century composer William Byrd for the Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and other hymns. The latter included one written in the 16th century by St Philip Howard, the only son of the fourth Duke of Norfolk and one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Relationship and sharing
In his homily, the Chaplain reminded us of the qualities of relationship and friendship which CAFOD brings to their communities: Gospel values shared with team members and all those whom they serve. After the Mass, we were all invited to walk down to a little restaurant in the town where we were offered refreshments – a wonderful opportunity to meet CAFOD members and renew contacts with friends.
Thank you, CAFOD, for this memorable celebration!
Sr Teresa McMenamin dj
The Maples,
Peterborough, England
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