First Sunday of Lent Saint Joseph’s Lenten Project 2009 1 st March 2009

The tradition of having a Lenten Project to support a Passionist ministry has been recognised as an outstanding response to the Gospel call to almsgiving, particularly in Lent. People throughout the world are benefiting from your great generosity in past years.

St Joseph ’s 2009 Lenten Project will raise funds for two projects. The Democratic Republic of Congo recalls a month I spent in that war-torn country when a member of the Passionist General Council. My admiration for the people in the midst of so much suffering remains with me. In Rome recently I met with the Passionist Superior General, Ottaviano, C.P., and the Secretary for Mission, Jesus Maria, about our Lenten Project support for a Maternity Unit in Congo. They are most grateful.

The other part of our Lenten Project this year was born in the garden of the Passionist Monastery of Holy Cross, Belfast when a young man hung himself there in 2003. This tragedy sent shock waves throughout the whole community and further away. Colleagues from other Churches shared with me their stories of deaths by suicide. Out of this, PIPS was born. PIPS wants spare other families the loss of their loved ones in this way. The Founder of PIPS is being invited to address us during Lent.

MATERNITY PROJECT IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: led by Passionist priest Jean-Marie Mbungu. The maternity unit will cover pre-natal consultations, baby vaccinations, preschool consultations, assistance to mother and child from conception to 5 years. The building (13mX5m) will include 1 large room for 15 mothers and newborn babies, 1 waiting room and 3 maternity rooms. The project will be built in a 4 month period and involves the whole construction from foundations to roof including all woodwork, electricity, plumbing and painting. Cost of the project is € 58,262.72; local contributions amount to €14,338.48 and the amount still needed is €43,924.24. This region has the highest density of population in Congo with 70% under the age of 40 and 50% of parents unable to pay the school fees for their children. This region is proud of its Health Centre, “Our Lady of Dolours”, where a polyclinic was built in 1998. The hope is that this will become a rural hospital able to improve health for all but especially for mothers and babies. The Passionists in Congo are now a Vice-Province having been founded from the Passionist Province in Belgium.

PIPS (‘ Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-Harm’) takes its name from the 17 year old Pip who died by suicide in the garden of Holy Cross Passionist Monastery, Belfast, N. Ireland on 23 rd April 2003. This life-changing event for Pip’s family, his parish and friends and for me was followed in the following five years by many suicides, mostly young people, in that small area of Belfast. Young Pip’s death inspired his broken-hearted father, Philip, to reach out to other young people at the point of ending their lives and to their families in similar situations. Since April 2003 a lot has been done by PIPS to prevent suicide and reduce self-harm. I know from working with PIPS that lives are being saved. Not all can be saved but by direct intervention, by training volunteers in suicide prevention and a Centre of Excellence to provide emergency accommodation for the most vulnerable, progress is being made. The cost of the new Centre is st£350,000 (€400,000). PIPS have raised more than half this amount. In May 2009 the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, will open this hub of PIPS outreach and care. (President McAleese was born, baptised and grew up in the Passionist Parish of Holy Cross, Belfast). Information from www.pipsproject.com

Aidan Troy, C.P. (Aodhán Ó Troighthigh, C.P.)