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A total of €45,500 was made between the four day fast, Memorial Tree outside St. Iberius Church and Carol Concert organised by Music for Wexford. This is up €10,000 on last year’s giving. The following is a breakdown of the donations made
| Wexford Women’s Refuge | €10,000 |
| Fr. Sean Devereux, Medical Unit | €10,000 |
| Youth Café, Francis St., Wexford | €10,000 |
| Vincent de Paul Society | € 9,000 |
| ECPAT End Child Prostitution and Trafficking | € 4,500 |
| Irish Kidney Association | € 2,000 |
Particular thanks are due to Cllr. George Lawlor, Mayor of Wexford and Mr. Tom Finn, Wexford Chamber of Commerce who joined in the fast with Fr. Jim Fegan, Adm., Rowe St Church and the rector. Both George and Tom and self employed and have young families and they gave up four days of their time to fast and stand at the steps of the church. Despite the hunger and the cold, we really had good fun, - the banter and good will were tremendous.
Behind the scenes, giving four days of hard work were Georgina Rothwell and Oliver McAdam who counted and banked the money daily and without whom, things would not have run so smoothly at all.
Thanks also to Cllr. Davy Hynes and the Wexford Pipe Band as well as the Valda singers who performed on the steps of the church in support of the fast. Many thanks also to Eilis and Paddy Hayes, Irwin Rothwell, Music for Wexford, Claire Verdon, Margaret Griffin, the Westgate Design Centre, South East Radio, The People and Echo Newspapers and Roberto Pons for their support.
One of the charities that received a donation from the Christmas Fast was ECPAT. The following is an excerpt from an email sent to the rector:
Dear Rev Jansson,
We were involved in case advocacy for an African child who at the age of 12 was trafficked into Eire then trafficked onward to England. She was sexually exploited over several years by highly organised traffickers and then abandoned. She is now cared for by social services although we believe she is still at grave risk. We have been advocating for greater cooperation between the UK and Eire on child trafficking issues as we have received both anecdotal as well as specific case information to suggest the problem in an on-going one.
I am sure you will be aware of the work done by
The Refugee Council of Ireland
their reports on missing children, suspected trafficked mirror our ECPAT UK research. There are clearly similarities between the patterns of child trafficking across the UK and Eire.
Here are some links to related reports - some quite old:
Child Prostitution
Trafficking
ECPAT
So much happens over Christmas, that it becomes a blur. However a huge amount of work went into the Bannow Sale and the Kilscoran Coffee Morning Fundraiser in Cushen’s Tagoat, profound thanks for the hard graft of a number of people of bake and work for hours to make such events happen.
Many thanks to Gunilla and Mikael Elmqvist who opened up their home for the Glögg evening and it was a great night.
The Mulrankin Carol Service was again followed by a great party and sing-song at Bargy Castle. The singing and music at the service was the best yet, the ensemble under the baton of Heather Boxwell was something special, producing a very special time of prayer and reflection. Mrs. Maeve Davison yet again opened her home to an unspecified number of people, providing wine, great sandwiches and home made baking for the multitude. Sincere thanks to her for such generosity.
Betty Doyle of the Wexford Woman's Refuge asked for an ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving for all the good in the community and the service became in many ways a testimony to the power of resurrection in lives ripped apart by tragedy and violence. Fr. Jim Fegan attended this event.
The Carol Concert in St Iberius on Christmas Eve is always oversubscribed and this year the church was full 40 minutes before the concert. Apologies to those who could not be accommodated due the limited numbers that we can safely let into the building.
Why Ghana? Ghana has a rich cultural heritage and is renowned for the beauty of its countryside and the welcome of its people. Although is has 43 languages, English is its lingua franca; it has a stable democracy, was the first country in Africa to gain its independence from the British in 1957 and offers a tremendous broadening or horizons for the visitor.
The trip is being organised through Connect World of Accra which will provide two weeks accommodation, escorted tours and lunches for €1,100, the added cost being the cost of flights, which depending on the time of year can range from €400 to €900. Added to this one needs to budget for the cost of evening meals and spending money. We are aiming to make the trip cost around €2000 pps.
We will fly to Accra and there visit the cultural centre named after W.E.B. DuBois (1868), an African American author and civil rights activist who became a Ghanaian citizen shortly before his death in 1963. We will also visit the Nkrumah Memorial Park (the founding father of the modern state of Ghana), browse through a huge craft market, visit Independence Square and the Aburi Botanical Gardens (north of Accra). We will be met by the Irish Consul and also share worship with a Ghanaian Christian community.
Ghana (called the Gold Coast) was colonised by the Portuguese, Swedes, Danes, Dutch and English and for centuries was exploited for its natural resources of gold. However, in time the slave trade surpassed all other exports. We will travel west from Accra along the Cape Coast to the city of Elmina, famous for its Castle (1482) with its notorious slave dungeons. It is estimated that 6.3 million people were shipped from West Africa to the Americas from 1700 to 1860.
We will visit the famous Kakum National Park and take a memorable canopy walk (100 feet up) through the rain forest and glimpse some of the 300 kinds of birds, 550 species of butterfly and innumerable rainforest mammals.
We will travel inland to the city of Kumasi, the centre of the Ashanti people, and there visit the Manhyia Palace Museum and learn of early African forms of democracy. We will also see Lake Bosomtwi, held as sacred to the Ashanti.
In south east of Ghana, we will stay near the Akosombo Dam visit the Wli Falls, the highest waterfall in Ghana , as well as taking a boat trip on the Volta Lake. We will visit the village of Tafi Atome, and there encounter the endangered, playful and sacred Mona Monkeys which have been protected by the Tafi people for two hundred years.
This will be a once in a lifetime trip, there are only twenty places and early reservation is essential. Just imagine stunning rainforests, exotic markets, learning new insights into history and religion, wonderful crafts and music, trekking, swimming on amazing beaches, and under waterfalls, all in temperatures of 32°. We will stay in good hotels arranged by Godwin Pinto, the CEO of the Connect World Group and President of the Ghana Travel and Tour Association. His sister Regina Flotingham Pinto is the warden of St. Iberius church who will be accompanying us on the trip.
If you always dreamed to going to Africa, this is your chance.
To travel, you need to be reasonably fit; you will need a valid passport, an entry visa into Ghana and certificates of immunization, the details of which will be given to you later.
Travel Dates: 14th. 28th. November 2008.
A minimum of 15 people is needed for the trip to go ahead. Estimated cost €2000. When we have the final group number, we will arrange flights. Please contact the rector by FEBRUARY 28th if interested.
A sincere thank you to all parishioners who have forwarded contributions towards parish funds, either through the Weekly Envelope Scheme, Bankers Order or once off payment. If you have not already made your annual contribution, please do so as soon as it is convenient, so that we can make our payment to the Diocese on time. Those who have not received Tax receipts will get them with the Easter Vestry notices - or should you wish to have them earlier, please do not hesitate to contact me.
It would be appreciated if anyone who has not already paid for their Diocesan Magazine, would do so as soon as possible. Also, I am urgently seeking someone to take the one extra copy that is available, as I am reluctant to reduce our number even by one copy, taking into consideration the amount of effort that is put into producing this publication. Costing only €30 per annum it is very good value for money. If you are interested please contact me without delay. In fact it would be very encouraging to the committee if we could increase our readership still further.
Wishing all our parishioners a very Happy and Peaceful New Year and again thanking you for your co-operation in 2007. Georgina.
Bishop Michael visited St David's Church, Mulrankin on Epiphany and as usual brought great energy and insight to our worship.
John Fletcher had a tragic accident six weeks after his wedding and, as a result, spent the last fifteen years profoundly disabled. He died just after Christmas, having shown tremendous courage and character over this period of time. Deepest sympathy to his mother Mrs. Brenda Fletcher of Foulksmills, to his sisters Claire and Joy, his brother Richard. sister-in-law Janet and wife Tickie and to the many who cared for him deeply.
The Revd Brendan Haythorntwaite, lawyer, teacher and priest lived an amazing life. Ever mastering new intellectual pursuits, he worked in the Ashanti Mines in Ghana, taught in Belfast, ministered in Shinrone and retired to France where he died after a short illness. Our deepest sympathy goes to his wife and sons but especially to his brother Charlie for whom he was not just brother but also a very dear friend.
Joan Paget died in Kerlogue Nursing Home and was buried in Mulrankin following a private funeral as was her wish. Born in London in 1916, she married a fruit farmer in Kent who eventually came to settle in south Wexford. Joan was a private lady for whom her family was her life. Our deepest sympathy goes to her son Michael and daughter Elizabeth, to Eileen and Rosemary and to Oliver, Thomas and Ruth.
Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life: Lord Jesus, come in glory.