Each year, the Collaborative Social Justice Committee facilitiates a Lenten Almsgiving Collection in support of our sister parish in Sierra Leone, West Africa as part of our International Initiative. All money collected directly benefits Our Lady Star of the Sea, which is supremely dedicated to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Our Lady Star of the Sea, has a preschool and elementary school that serves a large number of children; a vocational school for adults where many women come to be trained in skills such as dress-making, hair-dressing, jewelry-making,  amd weaving that they can use to support and empower their families; a health clinic that serves EVERYONE in their community, including mothers in the delivery of their babies, those dealing with infections, as well as infant and elder care; and a vibrant Catholic Church community.

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Lenten Almsgiving 2021

The Collaborative Social Justice Committee has taken for its International Initiative to support our Sister Parish, Our Lady Star of the Sea, in Sierra Leone, West Africa. During Lent, we are conducting an Almsgiving collection to support this Parish, which is so dedicated to serving its community through corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Your material and goods donations in years past have helped this community in a number of profound ways.

In 2018, your generous donations helped the parish undertake a much-needed project to pave the Church compound. Your donations were also used to help the parish provide critical services and support to its community. In addition to its vibrant Catholic Church, the parish has a health clinic, a vocational school, and a pre-school and elementary school. In 2019, your generous goods donations were used in the clinic, vocational institute, and schools: We received this thank you letter from Fr. Sylvester Moijueh: 

“We are grateful for the items you donated to our clinic, vocational institute,
and pre and primary schools. You have been of help over the years and we pray for God’s continuous blessings, provisions, and protection for all who made it possible. The items yousent helped the students in our schools and the patients in our clinics tremendously as manyof them are extremely poor. They express their gratitude. We hope and pray that yoursupport continues and the ties we have established continue to grow in leaps and bounds.May the Good Lord abundantly reward you.”

This year, you may donate online via St. Mary or St. John’s online giving programs. If you prefer to donate by check, please make checks payable to either St. John or St. Mary, noting Lenten Almsgiving in the memo.