Looking back over the year, one could be forgiven for thinking 2010 has been a year of emergencies. Beginning with the terrible earthquake in Haiti in January, to the droughts that hit Eastern African countries and the floods in Pakistan, then the earthquake, tsunami and volcanic eruption in Indonesia, the year seems to have been scarred with large scale natural disasters, bringing death and devastation to so many people and communities. Even now, as the end of the year approaches, news is breaking of storms that threaten the lives of so many more who are still trying to recover from the last disaster.
Even here at home, times ahead look increasingly difficult, as the coalition government begins to implement policies that will bring untold hardship for people who are already struggling to live. I have heard the same rhetoric before and endured the realities that came with it during the 1980s and I am genuinely concerned for the poor at home, who are destined to carry the can for the excesses of others and who will bear the brunt of the cuts that are coming. It is easy to understand Christ’s words ‘You will have the poor with you, always…’ (Matthew: 26 v11). Perhaps there is another way of looking at it?
Alongside the devastations there has been an amazing outpouring of generosity in response to all the disasters. As well as the specialist workers who have responded across cultural and faith boundaries to help with the relief efforts in each country, our parish and school communities have been amazing in their willingness to reach out to others in their time of need. Witnessing this has been a very humbling experience. Even before some appeals were launched, there were donations arriving in the CAFOD Middlesbrough Office for most of the disasters, to say nothing of the extremely generous individual and community donations that were sent directly to CAFOD in London. This is in addition to the two Fast Day collections, which have also been very generous, given the economic climate.
A number of parishes have raised substantial funds to buy Community World Gifts, supplying communities overseas with a Water Supply or Storm Proof Shelter. While others have taken up the opportunity to link more closely with our partners in El Salvador and Rwanda through our Connect2 programme, again raising funds to support our partner communities.
One highpoint this year came when we visited the tiny primary school of St Peter and St Paul’s in Leyburn on a beautiful sunny day in June to collect a cheque for £800.00. The 28 pupils had been fundraising to buy a Community Water Supply for £750.00 and had passed their target so they bought some chickens and a school starter pack too! Another happy occasion was meeting the veterans of the Catholic Women’s League at our Diocesan celebration to mark the 50th Anniversary of the first Fast Day, featured in last month’s edition of ëVoice’.
Sometimes we only discover retrospectively the wonderful things that people have done and often we don’t get to know what others are doing, they just quietly go about doing what they can. To all our wonderful supporters and volunteers, David and I would like to say a big thank you for everything you do to support our work, at home and overseas. As the year comes to its close and even though so much has been done already, there is still more work to do.
But take heart in this Advent season, for the coming Christ Child brings light and hope to us all.
Carol Cross