Scottish Catholic Observer

From its days as the salt centre of Manila to its bright present as a rapidly urbanising residential-commercial centre, Las Piñas has indeed come a long way. Known throughout the Philippines for its bamboo organ, salt beds, and Jeepney factories, Las Piñas is distinguished as one of Metro Manila’s fastest-growing communities. But a population that is steadily rising, Las Piñas is also home to some of the Philippines poorest children.

It is these children that the Sisters of the Annunciation seek to care for at ‘Little Nazareth,’ a home for young girls who are often the most vulnerable and neglected. Little Nazareth seeks to assist the poorest and most marginalised girls, providing them with food, education, shelter, healthcare, love and nurturing. For several years the centre has been supported through the generosity of the Scottish people.

On returning to Scotland, Fr Eddie Veasey, a Scottish missionary who spent 22 years in Ecuador encouraged support for this mission project, run by the Sisters.

Sadly, Fr Veasey passed away four years ago but thanks to the enthusiasm of a few dedicated supporters this work continues to bear fruit today. Administered by Missio Scotland, the project is one of 1200 schools, 9000 clinics and 10,000 orphanages supported by Missio and our partners throughout the Pontifical Mission Societies worldwide, in 170 countries across all 5 continents.

Srs Donelia Hidalgo and Gloria Lucy Álvarez Nino have written to us to tell us about the difference this help is making in their lives and the lives of the girls they serve. They thank in particular the people of Scotland, especially the members of St Gabriel’s Overseas Aid Group, Glasgow and the people of St Convale’s Parish, who continue to support both spiritually and materially Fr Veasey’s project. This is their letter:

May Jesus who is compassion and mercy, bring our greetings to you along with our deep gratitude for all that you are doing for us here at Little Nazareth home in Las Piñas, Manila.

Your help is so important and necessary for us and without it we would struggle greatly to provide for the needs of the girls in our care.

We thank God, in His unconditional love, for all the help and support that Mission Matters Scotland has provided us with and want to share your love and ours with the girls who are entrusted to us.

We remember with deep appreciation Fr Edward Veasey to whom we remain spiritually united, asking him to accompany us from above. This year we welcomed 22 girls to our centre and thanks to your help, where able to provide food, educational supplies, medical care and so on, for them.

As well as caring for their physical needs we seek to help them to grow spiritually and morally and develop their potential and self-esteem and to grow in the knowledge of God’s love.

Once again, we thank you for your help and support. We pray for you always.

May God and our Blessed Mother reward you with abundant blessings.

We sincerely hope that you can continue to support us so that together we can help some of the most needy children in Manila.

God Bless, Sr Donelia and Sr Gloria Lucy

As we reflect this Easter on their work and the work of many other missionaries like them, we are reminded that the Gospel joy, which enlivens the community of disciples, is a missionary joy. Easter is a time of great celebration. It is a time for giving thanks to our God who has conquered sin and death, giving us the Good News—Christ is Risen.

“What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen!” Pope Francis said. This message is at the very core of our Christian faith “If Christ is not risen from the dead then our preaching is in vain and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). It fills us with courage and hope in His promises. Courage to follow His command to: “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News”. (Mark 16:15)

This task, which belongs to each one of us through our Baptism, ‘springs forth,’ as Pope Francis reminds us in Evangelii Gaudium, ‘from an encounter—a meeting with Christ.’

Thanks to this meeting with Christ, each and every one of us is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelisation.

It is not though, something that weighs on us merely as a duty, but is the natural consequence of having heard and received that Good News in our own lives—‘Jesus is Risen, and I want to share that news with you.’

“What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen!” the Holy Father said. “I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest… Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for you, you are no longer in the power of sin, of evil! Love has triumphed, mercy has been victorious! The mercy of God always triumphs!”

This Easter we wish you a heart full of the joy of the Gospel. May we all encounter Christ in this Sacred time so that with Pope Francis we can all say: “What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen!”

— If you are able to help share the joy of the Gospel by helping the Sisters of the Annunciation and their work in the Philippines or similar projects throughout the world, please get in contact with us at: Missio Scotland, St Andrew’s, 4 Laird Street, Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, ML5 3LJ. You can also call us on: 01236 449774 or e-mail: [email protected]. Above all please remember Sisters Glory Lucy and Donelia and their girls in your prayers

— Missio Scotland is keen to support our Scottish missionaries spread throughout the world. Please get in touch with us to share with us about your work and how we can better support you