Group Meeting, Britain and Ireland

On Thursday afternoon we were all divided into groups to consider a series of questions on the themes of ‘Going Out’ and ‘Together’. We were divided according to languages, and our English language group consisted of GB, Ireland and Charity from Kenya and Maha from Syria (Damascus). Pat from Liverpool told us about her work with a group in Liverpool (known as the ‘Work of Mercy’) who hand out sandwiches and clothes to homeless people, supported by prayer in front of the blessed sacrament by other volunteers. Margaret Bailey had also been working with an organisation providing food and clothing for those in need in Liverpool. The Volunteers from Welwyn told us about the development of their work with people who are lonely, having tea and one-to-one conversations with people in six care homes around Welwyn. It is wonderful to see the seeds of Cerise’s Club of Good Friends and the work of Soul Matters, looking after the spiritual needs of the elderly, finding a new expression. As Anne Horsman reminded us, it is built on persistence and networking but doesn’t require funding and is highly replicable. They have had training from St Vincent de Paul, which they adapted for their own needs, and an offer of more professional training from someone who was impressed by their efforts who wants to become involved. We heard about the experience of the Oxford local community and their preparations for Gen Verde’s visit. The talents and time are coming from people who would not otherwise be involved in Focolare activities, but who are enthusiastic to take the project ahead. As Tina said, there is a pool of local talent and interest that they have tapped. A young Muslim who attends their meetings declared that he had never felt as loved as he did in that group. Charity from Kenya shared her moving story. She is a social worker involved in AIDS projects, which has also drawn in the Youth for a United World. She showed extraordinary dignity and courage, telling us of the death of her youngest son, aged 16, in December, a victim of a hijacking. This was followed by the death of her sister in childbirth just as she was preparing to come to Rome. She wanted to bury her sister before Christmas and the priest, who had seen her faithfulness in her work, agreed to bury her on 24^th December. He told her that ‘what you give comes back to you’. She left Innocent, her baby nephew, with some religious sisters, and will take him to bring up as her own when she returns to Kenya.

Closer to home, Lorna Gold made the point that we are all going out but not all involved in projects as such. We are often time poor and need to be careful not to start initiatives that we cannot continue to support. The social space to start new initiatives is also quite crowded, and we are often, as with Margaret Bailey’s work in Liverpool, there in a support capacity, but bringing our particular contribution from our life of unity. Lorna told us a bit about her work with Trocair (the Irish equivalent of CAFOD). Supported by other members of the Movement, the events she organises have the presence of Jesus in the Midst as their basis.

Anna White shared her experience of the importance of the nucleus in sustaining our work in the different worlds in which we find ourselves. The smallest things that we take for granted can have an impact on people, such as giving a Thank You! card to a wealthy philanthropist who had enabled her family and others who have children with chronic illnesses to attend a Liverpool football match in a VIP box. Mary from Ireland reminded us that as Volunteers we need to share what we are doing, the seeds sewn as well as bigger projects. We need to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. It may ‘just’ be building relationships, but we need to start where we are and let things grow. We need to share what we desire as well as what we are doing now. Loretta Hegarty told us about the work she does with a member of her Word of Life group in setting up a new baptism class. The priest was discouraged with the catechesis in the parish, but the positive feedback he had from Loretta persuaded him to carry on. People are often frightened or overwhelmed and we need to inject something positive. Loretta had taken the official baptism preparation booklet, which was rather wordy and written for a more educated readership, and produced something more suitable for the poorer community she was working with. This was much appreciated. Loretta also stressed the importance of having others praying for the work. Our activities bear fruit when supported by prayer.

Maha from Damascus told us about the efforts of the Christians, particularly those who know the Ideal, to live well in a multi-faith society, trying not to be discouraged by the negative attitudes and persecution that they face on a daily basis. In her office she is the only Christian, and a Muslim colleague who listens to her telephone conversations, wanted to know ‘who she was’, i.e. why she and her friends were willing to help Muslims, Christians and people from other faith groups without discrimination. They have a project for war orphans and displaced families. They try to involve people of other churches, which is not so difficult, but also to go out together to people of other faiths. They try to be the first to love, and their efforts were picked up by Syrian TV who produced a positive report on their project, mentioning the Focolare Movement. When asked what we could do to help, she said to ‘think of us and pray’. Maha told us that recently she left the office early and when she got home heard on the news that on the route she took home fifty bombs had fallen in 35 minutes. If she had left at the usual time she would have almost certainly been a victim of these bombs. She felt that God was with her. We certainly felt enriched by the experiences of Charity and Maha, and can pray for them and all those living in much more extreme situations than those we face in Britain and Ireland.

Comments and corrections welcome!