Organisers of a recent mission at St Felix parish, Bankstown, to make homemade Christmas cards for the poor and orphaned of Mozambique have been overwhelmed by the response.
St Felix’s youth gathered at the parish on 18 November to start work on reaching their target of 1,300 homemade Christmas cards.
By this week over 2,000 have been received from supporters from across Sydney.
“It was an overwhelming experience to witness the love shown by our communities as, every day, envelopes filled with cards would pile up on our table,” said Alison De Sousa, one of St Felix youth’s leaders.
“We have spent many nights sorting through hundreds of cards from schools, parishes and individuals from across the city in awe of the response and in joy of knowing the impact these will have on so many children this Christmas.”
Alison confessed that at first she was doubtful that they would be able to meet the target of 1,300 cards but was happily proven wrong.
“I felt like St Thomas, doubting God’s providence and assistance to reach our target,” she said.
“And I was absolutely God–smacked when the cards started pouring through.
“It was definitely humbling and a lesson learned in Faith.”
Hundreds of cards have now been sent to the community of the Somascan Fathers in Maputo, Mozambique, where the order maintains a mission.
But the children of Maputo will not be the only ones to receive the Christmas message this year.
Due to the overwhelming response, Somascan Movement Australia, an association of religious and laity, will help by sending excess cards to India.
As in Mozambique, the Somascan Fathers care for hundreds of orphaned and impoverished children across India.
The excess Sydney cards will be distributed among Somascan communities in Bangalore.