2023 began with an incredible show of support from our donors towards the ‘Earthquake Appeal’. In response to the request received from the International Council of the Secular Franciscan Order (CIOFS), a total of $5000 was raised to support those affected by the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.
We would like to thank those individuals, groups and fraternities who so generously contributed to this special appeal.
Donations are still welcome and can be made via our Missions account detailed below. Please indicate “Earthquake Appeal” in the description, so that your donation may be directed accordingly.
We take this opportunity to wish all of our donors a happy and holy Easter season.
Pax et bonum!
House-warming: Home for the Elderly, Principe
In 2019, The OFS Missions of Australia received a request from Fr Fernando Ventura OFM Cap., a missionary friar from Portugal seeking funds to build a facility for the elderly on the island of Principe. The Mission responded generously to this request, and today we are pleased to receive news of the official house-warming, and welcoming of the first residents. We graciously thank all supporter of our Mission for your generosity in contributing to this project.
Fr Fernando speaks of the project to build the Home for the Elderly in Principe
Ongoing Support For Prinosca
Since August 2020, the OFS Mission of Australia has been supporting Prinosca Baretta, the daughter of a Secular Franciscan member from the province of Goa, India, who is studying a three-year course in Allied Health Sciences.
Recently the Missions Office received a letter of thanks from Prinosca which we would like to share with all our benefactors who have kindly contributed to assisting her studies.
John Bradburne Memorial Society
The John Bradburne Memorial Society (JBMS) was founded as a charity in England in 1995 in order to help support Mutemwa Care Centre in Zimbabwe. It was set up in honour of it’s late warden, John Bradburne who spent the last 10 years of his life from 1969 -1979 caring for the leprosy patients of Mutemwa.
In December 2022, the OFS Mission of Australia donated $500 to the JBMS Christmas Appeal which would aid the Mutemwa Care Centre to purchase a pressure cushion, a pair of crutches, a rug, bed-side cabinet and shelving units.
In the past the OFS Missions has donated to the JBMS Chicken Appeal, which aided the Muemwa Care Centre in purchasing chickens for the poor families within local villages.
Supporting CIOFS Projects
The Secular Franciscan Order Mission of Australia is pleased to support the ongoing missionary work of the International Coucil of the OFS, including the Well4Africa project, which to date has fully implemented eleven projects throughout Africa.
Please visit the CIOFS website to learn more about this ongoing project https://ciofs.info/projects/well4africa/
In Gratitude for your generous support, Masses will be offered up for all of our donors by our Franciscan friars.
