World Day of the Poor observed in many ways - Welcom News
On Sunday 18 November the second World Day of the Poor was observed around the globe. Pope Francis established the World Day of the Poor to encourage the whole Church to reach out to those in need and let the poor know their cries have not gone unheard, the Pope said in his message this year. The Archdiocese of Wellington was one of 12 dioceses throughout the world asked to do something special to observe the World Day of the Poor. Under the under the umbrella Better off together – He Waka Eke Noa parishes and volunteers arranged a number of events and ways to reach out and assist people on the margins.
Highlights
Mass for World Day of the Poor and Tercentenary of birth of Presentation Sisters founder Nano Nagle: Over 400 people attended the Mass at Taita, with strong participation by the schools and communities of Te Awa Kairangi parish. A family bbq followed Mass, and four large boxes of non-perishable food items were taken to the Lower Hutt foodbank.
St Vincent de Paul pop-up stores: Over 1100 people visited St Vincent de Paul free pop-up stores around the Archdiocese including Levin, Newtown, Petone, Stokes Valley and Wainuiomata and Porirua. Stores provided free clothing and household goods at rock bottom prices as well as baking and sausage sizzles.
Better off together/He waka eke noa gathering: Over 80 people met for workshops and discussions on how we are called to respond to those in need around us, hosted by Challenge 2000 at Bishop Viard College, Porirua.
Fruitcakes for Kaikōura: 145 fruitcakes were bake and donated by North Island Archdiocese parishes and delivered to people in Kaikōura by SVdP. The cakes ‘were received with the love and goodwill with which they were sent’.
Compassion Soup Kitchen: Parishes and schools sponsored and served meals at the Compassion Soup Kitchen during the week of events leading up to the World Day of the Poor.
St Joseph’s Upper Hutt: welcomed people to check benefit entitlements, and distributed sausages cake and refreshments for lunch; with the support of other Upper Hutt churches and communities $1000 worth of meat packs were distributed.
JPD Commission social-analysis workshop: 30 people gathered for a day-long reflection and analysis on the experiences of the Upper Hutt and Naenae benefit impacts; and a collective response to the Synod ’17 recommendation to ‘collectively deepen our understanding of the peripheries’.