Given the worldwide situation due to the Covit-19, and Australia not being an exception, our usual Charity Night for this year has been cancelled.  Nevertheless our 2020 fundraising for our poorest of the poor (especially children!) under the paternal care of Fr Pedro Opeka at Akamasoa in Madagascar is  ‘alive and well’ and going ahead thanks to the generosity of the charitable hearts around us. It’s a very important and noble thing to remember, that even when we are undergoing  trials and hardship, there are always people in more precarious situations than ours…     Through our generosity, we express our gratitude to God for His presence in our life and show our solidarity with Jesus suffering in the poor…      

Friday 30th of October at 6pm, some members of our SFRCC committee (Jeannette Beaudoin, Sinisita Filitoga, Marina and Denis Jean-Baptiste) and myself gathered to prepare the hall at St Raphael’s Parish (South Hurstville) for the drawing of our lottery.

Keeping in mind all the ‘crown-viral’ precautions, we combined simplicity with a taste of welcoming those who would take part the following day, in the drawing of lottery. As it was for the last 11 years, Jeannette Beaudoin did her best, harmonising the tables decoration with the part of Parish/school Hall dedicated to our event.

Bouquets of flowers from A&L Flowers found their place on the tables giving an impression of serenity. Red, white and sparkling wine bottles, were offered by the long-time faithful supporters of our fundraising, Valore Cellars. International Ceramics on their part provided flat and sparkling water to temper the thirst between the tempting contents of wine glasses.         

On Saturday 31^st of October, afternoon, the finger food and sweets were delivered to our place, courtesy of ‘C’est Si Bon’ (Nadia and Laurent Schwarz) and ‘French Cakes Sydney’ (Françoise Nicoloff and James Travouillon).

From 6 pm on, our participants began to arrive.

Members of our committee: Jeannette Beaudoin, Philippe Etienne, Sinisita Filitoga, with Marina and Denis Jean-Baptiste were there to welcome our wonderful guest of honour, Mrs Anne Boillon (General Consul of France) as well as Dr Patrick Morris (aspirant candidate to join our committee) and exemplary in their generosity towards our poor in Madagascar, Mrs Giuseppina Galluzzo with her people.

Fr Isidor Anantharaj (PP) and Brother Ben Krupowicz (Pastoral Ministry Coordinator) also came to enjoy our evening.

At 7:30 pm, our French Consul General, Mrs Anne Boillon drew the winning numbers of our lottery.

After a wonderful time of enjoying the spirit of support for our poorest of the poor at Akamasoa in Madagascar (especially 15000 children) our event ended with each other exchanging the best wishes for Christmas and a New Year 2021.

Hopefully the 2021 will bring us together for the great dinner at All Saints parish hall at Liverpool.

Knowing that our charitable activities are the work of God, we continue (whatever the situation) our fundraising and the friends of Madagascar – thanks God – are visibly in ‘good mode’ of generosity towards the poor in spirit of gratefulness to our Lord for His blessings bestowed upon us!

I’m grateful to all our benefactors who gave me a pleasure to announce the very valuable prizes for our 22nd Fundraising  Lottery.  My gratefulness is directed also to all those who didn’t hesitated to buy this lottery tickets, providing little bit of help in education of our adopted children at Akamasoa. 

          Here are the winners of this year lottery :  

1. Oil painting (“Sydney Skyline”) by David Robert Hill valued at $2500.00 – donated by the Italian Prayer Group/Ryde  –  winning number :  1448
2. Bowerhaus*Old Hollywood tripe strand white pearls necklace with matching pair of earrings valued at $2200.00 – donated by Elizabeth Lee – winning number :  2946
3. Bowerhaus single strand white baroque pearls necklace + matching diamanté earrings at $1200.00 donated by Lee  – winning number :  6258
4. Bowerhaus triple strands necklace of Ocean Midnight Blue pearls and rock crystals + a pair of matching earrings valued at $650.00 donated by Elizabeth Lee – winning number :  0090
5. Voucher $500 donated by «Cadry’s Persian Carpets Specialists» at Edgecliff valid one year. – winning number :  6919
6.  Voucher $500 from Myer – donated by Nadia Fortuné – winning number :  3198
7. Voucher $500 from International Ceramics – winning number :  4687
8. Gift basket value of $390.00 donated by A. & F. Valore from «Valore Cellars» – winning number :  1535
9. Gourmet hamper valued at $280.00 – donated by Guy Roose from «Apromo Pty Ldt». – winning number : 4001
10. Gift Basket valued at $150.00 – donated by «GJ Food». – winning number : 1258
11. Gift basket valued at $100 donated by Sybra & Harry Hunt – winning number :  3808
12. Voucher valued at $100.00 (2x$50) donated by «Ganache Pâtisserie Française» at Castlecrag  – winning number :  1575

          Drawn at St Raphael’s Parish Hall, Sth Hurstville – Saturday,31^st October 2020          ********************************************************************************************          Buying our lottery tickets, giving any possible donation, you will become a part of the great project called “Akamasoa” in Madagascar. It was funded by Fr Pedro OPEKA (see http://www.perepedro-akamasoa.net/) in 1989. For the last 31 years it provides an urgent temporary relief to 25000 of the poorest of the poor through: getting children to the primary, secondary and tertiary education ; providing vocational training; providing health care; building family housing for the homeless; providing employment through the activities of the association and outside; accompanying the return of families without work in villages and towns of origin and providing access to services for all poor of the neighbourhood. May Almighty GOD reward your goodness with His blessing!               

*Bowerhaus policy on raffle prizes: Though all raffle items donated are valuable, they have no monetary value toward exchange or upgrade; (however, they still bare Bowerhaus’ pride of good workmanship)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              (7000 tickets printed)

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I’m heartfeltly grateful for wonderful response of our benefactors to this 22^nd appeal and moved by their generosity in this time of trials for us all.

 Yours grateful in Christ:   Fr Jan

On Tuesday, 5 January 2021 our SFRCC Association made the direct transfer to Akamasoa account the final sum not requiring  tax deductibility: $85,536.00 (Euros 50,764.53)

On Friday, 1 February 2021, the Catholic Mission made the direct transfer to Akamasoa account the final sum of $16,110.00 (after deducting 10% from $17,900.00 as an administration fee)