And So We Commence...

There was a Mass in the Extraordinary Form in Blackfen for Ash Wednesday, and, tired though I was, I managed to take a few photos. Being rather tired (and conscious that I have to get up early in the morning) I shall just put up a couple of photos, but I felt that Ash Wednesday merited at least a mention on the blog!

Lenten Almsgiving Ideas...

Almsgiving is one of the three areas we are required to address during Lent. We cannot all donate money - though, sometimes, giving our time can be more valuable, but for those of us who wish to make some financial sacrifice, the issue can be a little fraught. Events such as Red Nose Day get a lot of attention from the media, but one cannot always be sure where one's money will end up. Several charities support work which is in opposition to the teachings of the Catholic Church: supporting abortion, euthanasia, human embryo research and so on.

SPUC has a charities bulletin which helps to identify whether a charity engages, supports or promotes activities of this sort. It isn't exhaustive, but it's a good place to start, helping one to identify that, for example, that MacMillan Cancer Relief is actively involved in palliative end-of-life care whereas Cancer Research UK has used cell lines derived from embryos resulting from IVF treatment.

However, if you want to take the easy option, I can suggest a few good options...

First of all, if you want something personal, Beatrix, a little girl in the parish, wants to donate her hair to the Little Princess Trust (helping children who have lost their own hair) and thought it might be a great idea to be sponsored to do so. The money she raises will then go to Mary's Meals, an excellent charity I have mentioned before.

Then again, there is the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative, run by the Sisters of the Gospel of Life. At the moment they are in desperate need of baby buggies and prams (you can always buy them from Amazon, and get them delivered to 104 Albert Rd, Crosshill, Glasgow, G42 8DR) but I am sure that cold, hard cash would not be refused! (And you can donate directly from HERE.)

The Good Counsel Network does similar work to the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative. It is possible to donate online, though not via PayPal as yet, but they accept cheques too - click on "Donate" on the website for details of where to send it.

Finally, do consider donating money to SPUC to help them continue to do their excellent work on pro-life issues.

Obviously, this isn't an exhaustive list, by any means! Have a happy and holy Lent!