During the season of Lent we are reminded that prayer, fasting and almsgiving are ways to live out our love and gratitude for all that God has given us. This can manifest itself by demonstrating that we care for our neighbours in need. What I have witnessed within my own parish of Jesus the Good Shepherd, Eastlake Macquarie, is the humble love, care, and compassion of my fellow parishioners in seeing a need and doing something about it.

In the Summer of 2019 terrifying bushfires swept through some of the townships in the far north coast, west of Casino. In and around the little town of Rappville, homes, properties, and cattle were burnt and destroyed. Some of the Casino Sisters of Mercy worked with the people who knew the victims, many of whom were having to live in tents and sheds.

The Sisters had contacts in the St Patrick's Craft group, at Swansea. When the Craft Ladies heard of the plight of these people they got to work, knitting and crocheting blankets, rugs, scarves, and beanies for the people as winter was approaching. One lady, who received a knitted blanket, wrapped it around herself to keep warm as she slept on the floor in her shed. She still remembers with gratitude the blanket she received.

Floods then came in 2022. Most of the news items were about Lismore, whose residents suffered greatly. However, smaller towns were also totally flooded. Most people didn't hear about them and how they were living in small pods. When the Sisters heard of their plight, they let the Craft Ladies know. Again, they got working. This time they were assisted by a wonderful group of ladies who belonged to the Quirky Quilters at Belmont. These ladies also got busy, making almost seventy beautiful quilts to be taken to Coraki.

The people of Coraki thought that they had been forgotten and that nobody cared about them. When all the quilts and warm things arrived, they were astounded and full of gratitude. One lady asked the Sisters to “please thank the kind ladies who had made them such beautiful things.” She received one of the quilts and said that she “would treasure it for the rest of her life”. A few times since then, she has seen the Sisters and asked them to please thank those kind ladies.

Before Christmas, the Craft Ladies and the Quilters joined yet again in providing Christmas presents for the children, whose families had now been living in the little pods for nearly two years. The Craft Ladies artistically wrapped the presents they had donated for the children. The Quilters made seventy-seven gorgeous quilts appropriate to the ages of the children from 2 to 15. The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle provided a large van to take up all the gifts for the 70 children and with the blessing of Fr Gerard, our parish priest, two ladies drove the van up to Coraki, where many of the families had gathered. Some were quite overcome that people they didn't know cared about them in their difficult situation.

Now plans are afoot to take lovely handbags filled with beautiful little gifts to the sixty mothers, still living in pods with their families in Coraki and Wardell, for Mothers' Day. This time the whole of East Lake Macquarie Parish has become involved.

Again, the van will make its way up to the Lismore Diocese. It is hoped that these people, still out of their homes, will realize that people from here love them and care about their plight. Almsgiving through the season of Lent to our fellow citizens, not too far from home, demonstrates the love that we have for our neighbours.

If you, or someone you know, would like to donate a handbag that is in good condition, they can be left at any of the churches in the Eastlake Macquarie Parish (Windale, Swansea, Belmont) or at the reception of the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, 841 Hunter St, Newcastle West.

Let this 40 days of Lent be a time of prayer, of fasting and of giving.  

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