Comfort in grief; a personal experience

My granddaughter Leila (7) was staying over at the weekend and on our way to the cinema to see Aladdin she was talking about birthdays and how her birthday is next.  I corrected her and said Uncle Zachary is soon and then it would be Aunty Anna’s etc etc…………………….

So she asks has Aunty Anna got a grave, as she would like to put flowers for her on her birthday. So I said no.  Oh, so she is ashes then?  Where are they? she asks.   At my house, I said.    No further discussion.  She is quiet. Then a minute later she said,  I wish it wouldn’t be Mother’s Day for another 2 years.  Why, I asked.  Because you were so sad on Mother’s Day…………….

Leila with Aunty Anna, Mum

Since the death of my Mum in 2017 and more recently my daughter Anna in November last year, the experiences of journeying  through an expected death and a sudden loss have been challenging in so many ways.  Mum had her funeral planned; who was going to do what, what she was going to wear, hymns, readings etc.  With Anna we were shell shocked and the bureaucracy of death and  planning to bring her home from Edinburgh where she lived; they were tasks to focus on, delaying our real grief till after the funeral.

And so recently, because of my own personal experience, I have been sharing about CAFOD’s award winning project from 2015, that illustrates how no one is beyond reach of  our support; through prayer, through fundraising, through compassion, through partnership, through love.

 Safe & Dignified Burials in Sierra Leone

The BOND Humanitarian Award recognised the courageous service of the more than 800 burial workers who served with SMART, a UK government-funded consortium comprising of World Vision, CAFOD, and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Together the three agencies trained and equipped burial workers to conduct Safe and Dignified burials for Ebola victims across Sierra Leone. 

We continue to work with our partners in Sierra Leone and last year our Gap Year volunteers visited there.  Life goes on.

As hard as it was and continues to be, we were able to plan and organise for Mum and Anna’s funerals, gathering family and friends to mourn and celebrate their lives with us; something perhaps we take for granted.

 

 

“This is not a moment, it’s a movement”

A fitting quote from my current favourite musical –  Hamilton!

The current international response to the impact and crisis of climate change has drawn together so many different voices;

Pope Francis in his letter Laudato Si;

David Attenborough and his recent TV programme on the subject;

school children from so many countries going on strike inspired by one of their peers, Greta Thunberg.

And here at CAFOD we provide YOU with the opportunity to get involved in the movement through prayer and action.

Order your Creation Celebration guide to gather your parish/school community in prayer

Sign the Our Common Home climate campaign petition

Join us at the Climate Change Mass Lobby of Parliament.

 If you want to travel to the Lobby and join our Climate Pilgrimage, the coach will be picking up at Nottingham Train Station at 7am and Leicester Train Station at 8am,

Carrying CAFOD partners in prayer – the Poor Clare community in Bulwell

It was great to welcome Niamh to the volunteer centre today. As well as making time to do some of her admin work we were able to visit the Poor Clare community next door. After I had taken the Sisters through the CAFOD Quiz, Niamh then spoke about her visit to our partners in Uganda earlier this year.
The Sisters were really receptive and engaging, asking lots of questions about the work of CAFOD; how can we get involved, they asked? Sr Juliana put it in such a lovely way; who can we tuck under our arm and carry in prayer. They have requested details of 17 of our CAFOD programmes, one for each Sister to ‘adopt’ and pray for.

St Anezka was really interested to hear about Niamh’s love of music and her going to study songwriting in September.  She called in afterwards to give Niamh a CD of one her favourite New Zealand singer/songwriters, Brooke Fraser.

Apparently they are quite a musical community next door!

Be a Gap Year Volunteer with CAFOD