Meets every Monday (except Public Holidays) from 5:15 p.m. President: Sharaz Mohammed Vice Presidents: Ken Pierre, Errol De Gourville Treasurer: Ken Pinheiro

“The Society of St. Vincent de Paul helps people replace a sense of despair with a sense of dignity.”

This group is of invaluable help to the poor and the helpless in our communities. They feed the hungry, clothe the unclothed and do whatever else is necessary to help people get back on their feet again, always bearing witness to Christ’s love.

Meetings at the moment are being conducted at the St. Finbar’s Geriatric Home on the Church grounds.

Activities:

Distribute a minimum of 50 boxed lunches to twenty-four families, most of whom have many children, every Sunday. The lunches are prepared by parishioners in seven different areas and picked up by members for distribution.

Food parcels containing the staples (milk, rice, flour, sugar, beans, oil, sardines, etc.) are distributed fortnightly while money grants are given out weekly.

Clothes, shoes and utensils are donated by parishioners weekly, and parceled out by members for distribution to needy families, “Friends”.

Every first Sunday of the month at 8:00 a.m. Mass, SVDP members are responsible for the readings, collections, prayers of the faithful, announcements and distribution of Holy Communion. After Mass, there is a sharing in the Hall, and food and drinks are supplied by a special Committee and supplemented by members. This is especially for children of the SVDP “Friends” who are encouraged to attend Mass. Small toys, children’s books and sweets are also given out as incentives for them to attend Mass.

On the fourth Friday of each month, SVDP members man the hours, at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (Eucharistic Adoration), from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Young people are welcome to join the Society of St Vincent de Paul to help carry on the legacy of Christ as passed to St. Vincent. As Christ said, “What you do to the least of my brethren, you do to me.”

Co-ordinator: Annette Dopwell

Not all values are of equal weight. Some are more fundamental than others.

No earthly value is more fundamental than human life itself. Human life is the condition for enjoying freedom and all other values. (Cardinal Bernadin)

Consequently, if one must choose between protecting or serving lesser human values that depend upon life for their existence and life itself, human life must take precedence.

Today the recognition of human life as a fundamental value is threatened.

Nowhere is this clearer than in the case of elective abortion.

Today, the human baby is the number one target for extinction. Worldwide there are in excess of 45 million abortions each year. And as a direct result of living in this “culture of death”, euthanasia, killing of the disabled and the aged is accepted as a “good” and has been legalized in many countries.

As parents, we must move back to adherence to the teaching of the Catholic Church that artificial contraception is a grave evil and to welcome children into our families. We must teach our children the virtues – modesty, purity and self control – by word and example.

Fr. Paul Marx once stated, “Contracepting parents will never have chaste Children” - we must not reject that statement no matter how our instinctive response is shock and denial. How many Catholics truly accept the church’s teaching and reject artificial contraception?

We have been offered Natural Family Planning as a means of delaying pregnancy for grave reasons – but many mock and ridicule the knowledge offered.

Artificial contraception in catholic families has caused us to choose indiscipline, materialism and selfishness as a norm, resulting in:

• Pre marital sex and teenage pregnancies
• “Shacking up” as an accepted practice
• Single parent homes
• Adultery and divorce
• Abortion, the abominable crime of murdering our own children for the sake of convenience

We, as Catholics, need to study the encyclicals “Humanae Vitae” and “Evangelium Vitae”, so that we could become witnesses to the truth that human life is sacred and precious from the moment of conception to a natural death.

The Right to Life Association teaches chastity, promotes natural family planning and speaks out against the evil of abortion.

If anyone is interested in the work of this group in our Parish, you may call me at 632-2548 or e-mail mariannette_gd@hotmail.com

In March 1986, FINAID was born to create employment for our citizens. At that time, the oil boom was over and at all levels in the work force people suddenly became unemployed. Work became scarcer and scarcer. Our view was that we could hardly say "Brother and Sister" in Church then do nothing about the increasing number of people who had no food to put on the table. FINAID or FinAid, supported by the Parish of St. Finbar's is voluntary.

The need is still there. More and more employers also depend on us, as it is no longer advisable to take workers 'from the streets' especially where they are wanted to work in the home. Accordingly, we seek the interest of both employer and employee and not employee alone.

To help ensure a good selection of employees, our records include: name, address, ID number or age, telephone contact (if any), skills, previous employment and recommendations or references.

The office is situated on the compound of Geriatric Home awaiting the completion of the Pastoral Center , where the office will take up its permanent home.

FINAID is run and supported by Parishioners from the Parish Community. It has a high success rate of placing applicants into suitable jobs. This service is not only provided to Parishioners but for needy people from the surrounding communities. The office is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.