Archive 2004
December 2004
Writing to Church leaders Albert Bullock, Co-
Fruit trees are being planted in schools in Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Kenya, Ghana and the Sudan. Every £5 provides a tree and young people become the guardian of the tree. This is an excellent example of direct action. The simple act of planting a fruit tree can have an impact on alleviating poverty and preserving the natural environment. One tree can soon turn into an orchard!
At St. Francis we are seeking to serve the environment rather than thinking of it as there to serve us. It is part of out role as caretakers of God's creation.
Find out more about Seeds for Africa on their website: www.seedsforafrica.org
ALMA Weekend 9-
Supporting the Angola, London, Mozambique Association (ALMA)
Links with Africa were celebrated on the weekend of the 9th and 10th July. St Francis of Assisi held two events to celebrate its links with churches in Mozambique and Angola. The Rev Chris Swift and Mrs Sandy Swift talked about their recent trip to Mozambique on Saturday and addressed the challenges faced by the church in one of the most impoverished areas of Africa.
Donations totaling £81.34 were collected from box holders for the Angola, London, Mozambique Association (ALMA). ALMA was set up in 1998 with the aim of each of the dioceses learning from each other and assisting in mission. At St. Francis we have committed ourselves to paying for the training of two catechists (lay workers who assist ordained clergy) in Lebombo and in Niassa, the two dioceses of Mozambique. St Francis also raises money to support the work of Bishop Mark Van Koevering and his wife Helen in Niassa.
On Sunday, the Rev Chris Swift spoke at the 11am service and then joined a parish lunch afterwards.
Christian Aid Week 2005
St. Francis Collections raise £737 to support the work of Christian Aid
Christian Aid is a UK and Ireland based charity that funds projects in some of the world's poorest countries. It helps people to improve their own lives and to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. It was set up in 1945 by churches in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
St. Francis Church supports Christian Aid every year by collecting money to support
their work. this year we are pleased to say that door-
Fairtrade Coffee Morning
Coffee Morning with music to promote Fairtrade at St. Francis of Assisi Church
A warm and inviting coffee morning with soft taped music, to promote Fairtrade was held at St. Francis of Assisi Community Hall (next to the Church) on Saturday March 12th 2005 between 10am and 1pm.
Organiser Fleur Coates used Fa
irtrade products to bake chocolate banana cookies,
which were served with Fairtrade tea and coffee. Fairtrade products were available
to buy.
The morning was an opportunity for people to gather, meet new people and chat, and promoted the warm sense of community that St. Francis seeks to foster.
The tea and coffee were free, and donations were made to Fairtrade.
Wandering Feast: Christian Unity
in Isleworth
The traditional Isleworth Churches Wandering Feast took place on the 8th February 2005 in celebration of Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the season of lent.
Over 60 people from St. Francis of Assisi, St. Mary's and St. Vincent de Paul churches
attended, starting with soup, prawn cocktail, quiche or melon in St. Francis Community
Hall. The feast then continued at St Mary's Church Hall where there was an amazing
array of casseroles with vegetables, rice and, of course, a rather nice wine!
The congregation at St. Vincent de Paul provided a wonderful selection of desserts and Irish coffees that rounded a superb meal off nicely. Those attending from the three churches enjoyed an evening of pleasant company and convivial conversation.
Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Support Group for Hounslow
The Lent appeal for 2005 fundraised for the Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Support Group for Hounslow, which exists to support those that suffer with sickle cell anaemia and their families.
Tsunami Appeal: Nearly £1000 raised
Saturday 15th January 2005 saw over 100 people attend the ‘Candles of Hope’ vigil for victims of the South Asia disaster at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Isleworth.
The multi-
Charmaine Aserappa, who organised the event said “the event was a resounding success
and we are very grateful to all those who volunteered their time and to the generous
public who have contributed so much.”
Father Lawrence Smith, the Priest with responsibility for St Francis’, also thanked all those who contributed and stated that “all the donated items will go to those in Sri Lanka who are homeless and destitute as a result of the tsunami. These contributions will help the aid effort, although the need in Sri Lanka and other countries is ongoing.”
Christingle Service raises money for The Children's Society
Local children and their families took part in St. Francis' annual Christingle Service on the 11th of December 2004.
The money, raised by the church, will be used to support the Society's 'Safe and Sound' campaign, which aims to help runaways and children forced from home.
At the service children received a Christingle -
St. Francis of Assisi
865 Great West Road
Isleworth
TW7 5PD
Christingle Service raises money for The Children's Society
Local children and their families took part in St. Francis' annual Christingle Service on the 11th of December 2004.
The money, raised by the church, will be used to support the Society's 'Safe and Sound' campaign, which aims to help runaways and children forced from home.
At the service children received a Christingle -
St. Francis of Assisi
865 Great West Road
Isleworth
TW7 5PD
St. Francis of Assisi, Isleworth
Church of England Parish Church
