An African view

One of the things highlighted at the most recent First Sunday Thing (which took place on Sunday in St Nicolas') was what the promise of 'life in all its fulness' might look like from places whith which the parish has a link. It was the seventy fifth birthday of the priest in Zimbabwe whose parish we support, so this was an obvious place at which to look. Alongside the Mission where he is based there are nine churches in the parish scattered across a wide District. Here, he says, you will find the poorest of the poor, who are subsistence farmers in the most unpromising situations. He has to travel to visit all these churches to enable the members to receive Holy Communion. For those nearest the Mission he uses a donkey cart. For those further way, he uses buses and then walks as many are several kilometres from the main road. Last year, the Bishop confirmed forty two candidates. The latest project we have supported has been to buy some chickens and goats so that the Mission can generate some money and move closer to being self financing.