Welcome to Termonfechin Parish
August 2023
In July 2023 Fr Paul led a team of seven volunteers to Zambia. This group was made up of people who had volunteered to go back in 2020, but were unable to travel until now due to Covid19. The visit was approximately two weeks and centred on the parishes of St. Paul in Chipata Compound, Lusaka and St. Mary of the Assumption, Chilanga on the outskirts of Lusaka.
The visit included visiting of homes, assisting with a school feeding programme, painting walls and helping out with chores in the hospice.
The team reconnected with the various parish personnel and met some new friends. Fr Teddy is the parish priest of St. Paul’s and Sr. Loice and Sr. Paula (native of Co. Offaly) are our key contacts in Chipata Compound and are old friends now. In Chilanga, Fr. Collins is the parish priest and is our main point of contact. Val aka Auntie Val is the co-ordinator of the school feeding programme and Sr. Jeremias of the St. Charles Borromeo Sisters is the manager of the hospice and leader of the convent.
Many people donated a variety of items of clothing and toiletries as well as some school resources that we brought with us. There were also monetary donations which went directly to assist in such things as the school feeding programme and support for the home-based care initiative.
Auntie Val’s Feeding Programme.
There are many wonderful people in all our parish communities. One of these, in St. Mary’s Chilanga, is Auntie Val. She is a retired nurse who started a feeding programme in 2022 in the two parish local schools. The programme aims to feed the most vulnerable children. Currently Val and her small team prepare and distribute one meal to 104 children on three days per week. Initially she was doing this from her own resources but as the number of children increased she had to look elsewhere for funding. Termonfechin parish has contributed €200 per month since February and will continue as long as is possible. The funds for this support has come from donations we received from local people. Each meal costs approximately 35cents per child. So essentially €1 per week will feed a vulnerable child.
Chilanga Hospice
A group of religious sisters led by a polish sister – Sr Jeremias – look after a local hospice. In its early days the hospice was a home for those dying from HIV/AIDS. Thankfully, as a result of modern drugs in the treatment of HIV, AIDS related deaths are less frequent. So today, the hospice is a day clinic for the distribution of ARV’s (anti retro viral drugs) which are used for the treatment of HIV. They also provide other medical facilities for minor medical care including blood tests and x-rays. Funding for the hospice comes completely from donations given to them. During our visit members of our team did some painting work on the outside walls while others assisted with chores inside.
This is a brief overview of our 2023 visit and the work that we engage in on such trips. We are grateful for all the wonderful support that is given to help not just when the visits take place but throughout the year. Each July a group led by Fr. Paul has gone to Zambia since 2013 and hopefully this will continue well into the future. If anyone is interested in any aspect of the work please don’t hesitate to contact Fr. Paul for more information.
Check out the photo gallery for photos of our recent 2023 visit on our Zambia page.
The parish has recently signed up with “Payzone”. People are now able to make online and contactless payments for our various collections and fundraising initiatives. A QR code will be published on the website and the parish Facebook as well as on the parish newsletter. This code will be available in various locations in the churches and at the parish cemetery to help those who wish to make contactless donations.
If you would like to continue to offer your financial support to the parish please see below.
Bank Transfer:
Bank Of Ireland
Termonfechin Parish No. 1 Account
IBAN: IE83 BOFI 9033 2234 3121 76
BIC: BOFIIE2D
In all cases please include your name and address and if you are a weekly envelope user please insert your envelope number. Thank you for your ongoing support.
