LOOKING FORWARD

Our Charities for 2010 and 2011 – by the Secretary

For a number of years the chaplaincy council of St George's has been choosing two charities to support for two years at a time. Our aim is to give these charities 25% of our annual income – and so far we have managed to give even more. In 2008 and 2009 we supported Infants del Món, which is important as an overseas charity founded in Andorra, and The Rural Development & Research Centre, Chiapas, South Mexico which was introduced to us by The Rev. Bob Short whose parents-in-law founded it. Fr Bob regularly visits the Centre and he and his wife, Clare, are taking a sabbatical and working there now. As Fr Bob has written to us: " I will be working 3 days a week at the Centre and helping them with the crop demonstration program and in reclaiming some of the land that was damaged in the Zapatista uprising time. You can keep up with our progress on our blog site: www.bobandclare--wanderings.blogspot.com. "

For 2010 and 2011 we needed to find two new charities. Our preference is for small organizations, recommended to us by someone who has personal experience of their work. With this as our guide we have selected two new charities:

Hogar Infantil Marsh – Acapulco, Mexico – this children's home is already known to some of our members, one of whom at least sponsors a child at the home. It rescues and protects homeless and needy children, having been founded in 1990 by two people who had themselves been rescued and brought up in an orphanage.

St Luke's Home Care – Bosnia – this local project sets out to supplement the limited local healthcare services for both children and, more particularly, old people who live on their own and are receiving absolutely no care from anybody. There is a very high incidence of poor mental health coming from the experiences of suffering in the war and its associated ethnic cleansing and the physical help given is much strengthened by the effect of regular contact and the bringing of hope back into the lives of those being helped.

Please remember our work in supporting these charities – and that we aim to exceed our minimum commitment of giving at least 25% of our total income as a church to these charities.


The 2010 Retreat – by Valerie Rymarenko

In April 2008 we went on Retreat at the Benedictine Abbaye d'En Calcat, Dourgne, France. Our experience there was so fulfilling that we have decided to return to the Abbaye from Thursday 6th – Sunday 9th May, 2010 for a second Retreat. We shall be led by The Reverend Canon Alvyn Pettersen, Canon Theologian at Worcester Cathedral. We plan to arrive about 4pm on 6th May, and leave after Mass and lunch on 9th May. The retreat will be in silence as much as possible, and we are welcome to attend the church offices, sung by the monks, when we are not studying with Fr Alvyn. The Abbaye (which is 65 kms from Toulouse and 60kms from Carcassonne) is in beautiful grounds, and there are 10 single rooms and 5 double rooms available for us, all with en suite facilities. The cost is €125/person for accommodation and meals. We hope to be joined by friends from other chaplaincies. To make a booking, or for information, please contact Valerie Rymarenko patchwork@andorra.ad or (+376) 351 543.

from our newsletter, January 2010

In the Diocese in Europe: The English-Speaking Church of Andorra - St George's, Box 113 Credit Andorra, La Massana, Andorra