Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from The Irish Times
Saturday 13 August 2005
Voluntary Work Abroad
The Church of Ireland, largely through the medium of the Bishops? Appeal Fund, is a constant supporter of the developing world and a contributor to the various emergency relief works which are needed from time to time. Less well known, however, is the work of small voluntary groups within the Church who raise money and then give their time and talents so that the effect of those funds can be maximized.
One such group is the Taney Summer Project, based in the south Dublin parish centred on Dundrum, which worked in Romania since from 2002 to 2004. This year, however, the group decided to work with a charity called Project Galle which is assisting with the post tsumani relief in Sri Lanka. The group is led by Anthea Newburn, a Dublin hotel manager, who, with the Rector of Taney, Canon Desmond Sinnamond, and ten other volunteers, raised funds through a series of parish events and then travelled to Sri Lanka in July to put the money to work
In Galle, they were put to work making temporary houses. It was tough work with cuts, splinters and damaged thumbs and the humidity of the workshop was a reminder of how uncomfortable the tents, which will be replaced by the new houses, are for a whole family. The wooden panels which the group made were assembled on site and they then travelled out to see the houses being erected - it only takes one hour to assemble a house, with help from the family who will receive the house. Many houses are in the gardens of extended families and will provide more space for living though they will still share sanitary facilities. They are now winding down making temporary houses and will be focusing on permanent houses. In this area, the last families have finally moved out of tents into temporary shelters.
The group also visited the camps on reconnaissance visits. Project Galle has identified and served as many as 96 camps since January and are currently visiting about 60 camps. It started as a six week programme but will continue for the remainder of 2005 moving away from emergency aid to focus on diet, housing and income regeneration.
The work of the Taney Summer Project team, like other such projects throughout the Church of Ireland, exposes individuals to the horrors of deprivation and hopefully, thereby, plays a part in transforming lives both at home and abroad.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the services in St Patrick?s Cathedral, Dublin, will be sung by the Rawstorne Singers while in Christ Church Cathedral the visiting choir will be from Christ Church, Elbow Hill, Calgary in Canada. Meanwhile the Christ Church Cathedral Choir will be in London from Tuesday until next Sunday when it will be in residence in St Paul?s Cathedral. The Cathedral Choir will sing Evensong each day, except Friday, and will sing the services on Sunday week. On Wednesday and Thursday it will be joined at Evensong by the Christ Church Girl?s Choir.
The final recital in the Festival of Classical Music in St Barrahane?s Church, Castletownshend, Co. Cork, will be given on Thursday evening by Adrian and Alex Petcu and Ruxandra and Ioana Petcu-Colan.
The Church of Ireland Directory for 2006 is being prepared for publication in Church of Ireland House and those who wish to have entries amended for the new edition should return their details by 22 August. Amendments should be sent to Ms Doreen Smyth, Editorial Assistant, Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6.