Kibera Excursion
Companions Kibera Outing now well underway! Lucia, Simon and Danny installed at the weekend, Gerry and Michael in the air, Claire, Viviana, Liam and Charles set off tomorrow, Alexandra and Amy arrive on Friday. Watch this space for snaps!
Grand Prior's Funeral
There was an excellent turn-out of Companions at Fra' Freddy's funeral in Edinburgh today. Wonderful, as ever, to see the Old Rite celebrated with such dignity and Cardinal O'Brien's homily was both affectionate and prayerful.
African Fayre - Thursday 29th September 2011
In St Aloysius' College, 45 Hill Street, Glasgow G3 (city centre, 2 minutes from the M8)
In aid of the Companions charity in Nairobi and Lamu. There will be African food, drumming classes, stalls selling jewellery, beadwork, artefacts etc, face-painting and, the centrepiece: the Osiligi Maasai Warriors. Tickets are £10 (children £5).
In aid of the Companions charity in Nairobi and Lamu. There will be African food, drumming classes, stalls selling jewellery, beadwork, artefacts etc, face-painting and, the centrepiece: the Osiligi Maasai Warriors. Tickets are £10 (children £5).
Companions Formation Day
The Companions of the Delegation of Scotland and the Northern Marches had a very interesting and enjoyable Formation Day at St Aloysius’ College SJ in Glasgow, on Trinity Sunday, 19th June. The morning began after Mass in St Aloysius Church with a brief introduction by the Convener, Liam Devlin, before the effervescent Lillian Molloy took over with one of her famous First Aid sessions, in which she incorporated some advice specifically for the nine members of the group travelling to Nairobi next week.
After lunch we had an excellent and very scholarly lecture from Angus Hay on the history of the Order. This was very well-presented and greatly appreciated by the audience. After his talk, Companion Kathleen Welsh MBE, former chairman of Dial-a-Journey and still a member of the Board, gave a very interesting brief account of the history and importance of the Dial-a-Journey facility. The Day concluded with prayers and a blessing given by Monsignor Hugh Boyle.
Sadly missing from the day were the Delegate who asked for it to be organised, Henry Lorimer, and Fra’ Freddy Crichton-Stuart , the Grand Prior, who as recently as last Sunday was planning to speak at it. May both these great men rest in peace.
Fra' Freddy Crichton-Stuart
Your prayers are asked for one of our Scottish Companions, Fra' Freddy Crichton-Stuart, Grand Prior of England, who died at home in Edinburgh this morning and had been looking forward as lately as last Friday to coming to talk to us at the Formation Day on Sunday. His greatgrandfather was a donor to the the "new" building of St Aloysius' College at 45 Hill St and attended its opening ceremony. His family was also a major donor to St Aloysius Church. An obituary of him can be found on the BASMOM website. RIP
Kibera - June/July 2011 Itinerary
Sunday 26th June 2011: 20.50: Lucia arrives (alone)
Laurence will collect her and hold a sign saying Lucia B....... and take her to Mary Ward. On Monday and Tuesday, Alice will collect Lucia from Mary Ward and take her out to see some medical programmes
Wednesday 29th June: KL4141 0635 Gerry and Michael arrive.
Laurence will pick them up and take them to Mary Ward. He will hold a sign saying "GERRY & MICHAEL" as "DIAMONDS" might cause a riot! If they want to go out with Lucia during the day, they can fix it up directly with Laurence.
Wednesday 29th June: 20.50: Viviana, Charles and Liam arrive. Shortly afterwards, Claire arrives so we will wait for her.
Picked up and taken to Mary Ward by minibus.
Thursday 30th June: into Nairobi for walk and lunch, then to Nakumatt to buy paint for Laini Saba. Back to Mary Ward by 4 p.m.
Friday 1st July and Saturday 2nd July: 8.30 a.m. All picked up and taken to as near Laini Saba primary school as we can get. We are meeting 6 young St Al's grads there who are going to help us paint the school over two days. Bring PAINTING CLOTHES!
Friday 1st July: 20.50 p.m. Arrival of Alex and Amy at airport. Liam will go with Laurence to collect them.
Sunday 3rd July: minibus pick-up at 9 a.m. to go to Nyumbani Orphanage for Mass and then either back to Laini Saba if the painting is not finished or off to the Giraffe Centre and lunch at Karen Blixen.
Monday 4th – Friday 8th July:Three groups: one to Laini Saba (Viviana, Alex and Amy), one to St Christine’s (Gerry & Charles) and one to St Secilia’s (Michael, Lucia, Claire) All going by taxis to start about 9 and return about 4 p.m.
Saturday 9th / Sunday 10th July: tourism – safari in the Nairobi National Park, National Museum etc.
Monday 11th July: 3 Devlins, Amy, Alex and Claire to airport for 6 a.m. check-in.
Tuesday 12th July: Gerry and Michael to airport for 6 a.m. (to fly back to UK), Lucia to airport for flight to Malawi (time to be advised).
We will have dinner guests most evenings to talk to us, including Thomas, director of the St Al's Grad Programme, Barlet, Thomas' predecessor, David, director of the Foundation for Hope,and Alice, First Secretary to the Embassy of the Order of Malta.
It might be a good idea to bring wellies - even a little rain turns Kibera into a muddy swamp. We have a lot of stuff to bring out so it would be handy if you could bring case 2 in with you on June 19th to the Formation Day.
Laurence will collect her and hold a sign saying Lucia B....... and take her to Mary Ward. On Monday and Tuesday, Alice will collect Lucia from Mary Ward and take her out to see some medical programmes
Wednesday 29th June: KL4141 0635 Gerry and Michael arrive.
Laurence will pick them up and take them to Mary Ward. He will hold a sign saying "GERRY & MICHAEL" as "DIAMONDS" might cause a riot! If they want to go out with Lucia during the day, they can fix it up directly with Laurence.
Wednesday 29th June: 20.50: Viviana, Charles and Liam arrive. Shortly afterwards, Claire arrives so we will wait for her.
Picked up and taken to Mary Ward by minibus.
Thursday 30th June: into Nairobi for walk and lunch, then to Nakumatt to buy paint for Laini Saba. Back to Mary Ward by 4 p.m.
Friday 1st July and Saturday 2nd July: 8.30 a.m. All picked up and taken to as near Laini Saba primary school as we can get. We are meeting 6 young St Al's grads there who are going to help us paint the school over two days. Bring PAINTING CLOTHES!
Friday 1st July: 20.50 p.m. Arrival of Alex and Amy at airport. Liam will go with Laurence to collect them.
Sunday 3rd July: minibus pick-up at 9 a.m. to go to Nyumbani Orphanage for Mass and then either back to Laini Saba if the painting is not finished or off to the Giraffe Centre and lunch at Karen Blixen.
Monday 4th – Friday 8th July:Three groups: one to Laini Saba (Viviana, Alex and Amy), one to St Christine’s (Gerry & Charles) and one to St Secilia’s (Michael, Lucia, Claire) All going by taxis to start about 9 and return about 4 p.m.
Saturday 9th / Sunday 10th July: tourism – safari in the Nairobi National Park, National Museum etc.
Monday 11th July: 3 Devlins, Amy, Alex and Claire to airport for 6 a.m. check-in.
Tuesday 12th July: Gerry and Michael to airport for 6 a.m. (to fly back to UK), Lucia to airport for flight to Malawi (time to be advised).
We will have dinner guests most evenings to talk to us, including Thomas, director of the St Al's Grad Programme, Barlet, Thomas' predecessor, David, director of the Foundation for Hope,and Alice, First Secretary to the Embassy of the Order of Malta.
It might be a good idea to bring wellies - even a little rain turns Kibera into a muddy swamp. We have a lot of stuff to bring out so it would be handy if you could bring case 2 in with you on June 19th to the Formation Day.
Memorial Service for Shahbaz Bhatti
Companions will help as ushers and choir-members at the Scottish Christian Asian Fellowship's ecumenical Memorial Service in Pollokshields Parish Church, Glasgow, on Saturday 4th June 2011 at 11 a.m. The service is in memory of Shahbaz Bhatti, the Catholic minister in Pakistan murdered in March by the Taliban for daring to speak out against the country's blasphemy laws.
Directions to St Aloysius' College
click to enlarge the map.
If you are coming on the motorway from the North or East, take exit 17 marked DUMBARTON and go LEFT at the traffic-lights. You are now 100 yards from the College but have to go round the Hill.
At the next set of lights, go RIGHT and then RIGHT again at the third set of lights into Cambridge St..
Hill St is the FIRST on the RIGHT off Cambridge St.
The Convent Building is at the THIRD corner on the right (Scott St). Go down Scott St and you will see a playground on the right where you can park. Please do not park in the small area round the Convent itself as we need the space for disabled Companions.
If you are coming by train or bus, please head for SAUCHIEHALL ST. Hill St is two streets to the north but does not start until Cambridge St. The easiest walk is to go along Sauchiehall St go right at ROSE ST where you will see St Aloysius' Church.
Formation Day 19th June
"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
The Formation Day is shaping up well, although there is plenty of room for more people. As well as meeting each other and getting some information about the activities and history of the Order of Malta, the purpose of the Day is to help us both be more competent in our (very enjoyable) corporal works of mercy (Martha) but also set them in the context of our Faith (Mary).
We are very pleased that we will have present on the 19th Dr Mohidin Nurein, the medical director of the Lamu Maternity Shelter, one of our Kenyan projects.
Theatre Lights for Lamu
Alice is tantalisingly close to the sum she needs to buy the Operating Theatre Lights for Lamu. If anybody can help with the last £400 or so, please go to her JustGiving page. The difference this equipment will make to he maternity unit is huge.
Sight Aid International Visit - Tuesday 24th May
A charity called SIGHT AID INTERNATIONAL based in East Kilbride, is making visits to St Aloysius Kibera to give eye tests and prescribe corrective lenses. The Companions have been invited to visit the charity, see the eye-testing procedures, the factory and then some presentations on the work in Kibera. If you would like to come, please email me asap. We can go from the City Centre in the minibus,leaving town at 12.30 p.m. and be back by 3.30 p.m.
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