Bishops’ Appeal thanks supporters for generosity

Monday April 1st 2024

At the security fence for Yei Vocational Training College, in South Sudan, funded with help from Bishops’ Appeal are Morris Logulomo, manager, Tom Finlay from St John’s Parish, Moira, and Baraka, an instructor from the college. Photo credit: CMS Ireland.

The Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal has sounded a message of thanks to all those who have supported recent appeals and given so generously to enable those in need to receive help and practical aid around the world today.

Thanks to the generosity of parishes and individuals, at its meeting in March, the Bishops’ Appeal Advisory Committee has been able to allocate more than €200,000 (£171,000) of funds to support a wide range of relief and development work around the world.

From supporting people displaced by the war in the Middle East and sending essential relief funds to the Diocese of Jerusalem, as well as stoves to people in Ukraine whose homes have been destroyed, every pound and euro we have received and can pass on makes an enormous – often life-changing -difference.

Bishops’ Appeal also supports projects away from the media spotlight where the needs are equally urgent and where climate change is having a devastating impact on the lives of millions of people.

In Madagascar, the Appeal has been able to support a project promoting sustainable silk production businesses, which are replacing the previous dependence on cutting down trees to create charcoal. Elsewhere, a Mothers’ Union literacy project in Burundi is not only supporting women to run businesses to support their families, but also basic literacy and numeracy skills help prevent fraud with the added bonus of the women being able to read the Bible for themselves. Both these projects benefited as a direct result of funds raised by the Dioceses of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe during Bishop Michael’s peregrination around the churches.

Victims of two recent natural disasters in 2023 – the earthquake that devastated large parts of Syria and Turkey, and floods in Libya – have been provided with ongoing support through partners on the ground locally.

Other projects in Malawi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Somaliland will all receive support to enable lives to change, with training, green energy projects, and security measures around a vocational college which all help to address the many challenges people face in their everyday lives.

Bishop’s Appeal states: “It is our privilege through Bishops’ Appeal to support brothers and sisters around the world who are often living in great need, but who are full of faith. As we celebrate the wonderful truth of Jesus’ Resurrection this Easter, let’s pray that the monies raised and distributed will bring the hope, kindness and goodness of God today and always.”