Lent Groups & Lunches

Lent Course and Lunches 2014

This year, we followed a course called, "Finding a Voice” written by Hilary Brand and based on the film “The King's Speech”. It was very successful.

The course involved some pre-meeting reading, the session itself and some thoughts to digest afterwards and was generally appreciated by those who took part.  Each session was led by a different person and hosted by a different host in their own home.  As the group was large this year, (usually 18 people came), it was sometimes a squash to get everyone seated and able to watch the film clips that were shown on the TV screen. However, the events went well and the weather was mostly favourable so that sometimes the lunch could be eaten outside.

It was a good this year for the hosts to have the help of others in providing soups, cheeses and wines to share the load of preparing and providing the meals. Some people who were unable to attend the course session arrived for the lunch and social gathering afterwards often making over 20 people for the meal. Those who came were asked to donate between €5 and €10 for their meal and the money was given to charity.  

Several charities were put forward by the participants. They were:

Bikers for Health: a charity started by bikers to provide bikes in third world countries in order to be able to deliver medical supplies and health care to regions difficult to  access by other vehicles.

Care: the humanitarian, world- wide organisation providing disaster relief and fighting poverty around the world.

CCFD-Terre Solidaire:  a French organisation started by bishops of the Catholic church to counteract famine in the world  and give hope to the poor people in 60 of the poorest countries of the world

Bishop David's Lent Appeal in partnership with Christian Aid, to support the education and empowerment of women in Afghanistan. Christian Aid managed to secure matched funding in the ratio 3:1 from the EU.  

A vote was taken by the participants and it was agreed to support the Bishop's Lent Appeal and we were able to send €500 to the bishop for this.