Dear Friends of Akamasoa,

The beauty of solidarity with thousands of our adopted Akamasoa Family members, with over 17000 orphans and abandoned children, is awaking us to thank our Good Lord for inspiring the People of Good Will with generosity of heart in order to continue into 2023 with serenity and perseverance with our saintly endeavor of sharing God’s goodness with Jesus suffering in them.

Enjoying this beautiful “Alleluia” performance during Easter celebration at Akamasoa under Fr Pedro’s leadership, we can have a look at the progress of our 25th fundraising event:

The past two years of all kind of sudden restrictions and tragic experiences nationwide, and given some uncertainty regarding the next future, it was impossible to plan the gathering for over hundred participants …
Nevertheless, to mark 25^th anniversary of our charitable association, Good Lord provided us with hospitality of Mrs Nives Care, who generously opened the door of her family home (33 Church St, Blakehurst), proposing to hold two events:

1. HIGH TEA

At noon on 19^th August a  High Tea event was held to share God’s blessings with our thousands of adopted orphans and abandoned children at Akamasoa in Madagascar.  At Akamasoa (‘Good Friends’), Fr Pedro Opeka (http://www.perepedro-akamasoa.net/) with help from around the world (ours included)  has, for the last 34 years, been upholding the miracle of providing holistic care for the future of about 25000 poorest of the poor… among them over 17000 children!

Thirty participants from those who for many years were part of our Charity Nights attended, as well as  around thirty belonging to the close circle of Nives Care.

The High Tea event came to fruition after weeks of planning and preparation of the gathering place.  Nives Care with her dedicated friends, Rosa-Maria Lia and Maria Perugini, demonstrated their superb culinary/patisserie experience… Their amazing achievement is better understood looking at the photographs (to be published soon) than through my poor words trying to express something beyond my capacity…

What contributed to the success of this year’s event, were:

• deliciously prepared food enjoyed in the cosy ambiance and decor of the gathering place;
• Francesca Chow’s offerings of home-made organic marmalade and other valuable items for sale;
• Elizabeth Lee’s total donation from sales of beautifully crafted precious pearls objects from Bowerhaus ;
• raffle and auction of items provided by Nives Care, Jeannette Beaudoin and Francesca Chow.

From our SFRCC committee, Jeannette Beaudoin provided decorative balloons (brought from Haberfield to Nives’ home on the day and installed by Carl Pavia) and Sinisita Filitoga cheerfully welcomed our participants collecting ‘entry’ donations.

The photographs from this event were taken by Dr Norman Yenson and Maria Perugini.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our Good Lord for uniting us all in one, enabling us to prove that with HIM we can do lot of GOOD! And we did!  $7,943.00 will mean, that a lot of our adopted children will enjoy their schooling time and praying for us to obtain an abundance of God’s blessings for the time to come!

On my side, I do not dare to thank anybody for this beautiful success, because Jesus’ reward waiting for us at the end of our pilgrim life on Earth, will surpass everything we can imagine and express!

Only one thing I cherish in my heart, the privilege of having the company of so many wonderfully disposed friends of the poor among us.   God willing, I am ready to continue, (to the best of my ability) to secure  educational help for the thousands of those who are  God’s favoured in this world, the kids at Akamasoa (in our case)!

May God bless us all in our noble kindness towards them!

Yours grateful in Christ:  Fr Jan

2nd EVENT to mark our 25 YEARS OF OUR ACTIVITIES :

Our Charity Dinner  on 21^st October at 6pm  organised by the members of our committee, was programmed for 50 participants only, but with  big heart  Mrs Nives Care ‘enlarged’ her home to welcome 60 people. We enjoyed Greek, Italian and Thai food with BYO drinks, as has been the case for the past 25 years… Our usual contribution per person was $100, although a few generous participants gave six and some even seven times more; Deo gratias!!!  
60 places were aready ‘taken’ one month before the event!

With the  limited number of  our hard-working committee members available for the preparation of this 25^th anniversary of our SFRCC association event, the Good Lord provided extra help from unexpected ‘directions’! 

The main concern was to find volunteering, food providing people… !
Nevertheless, keeping in mind, that “doing our best, God will take care of the rest”, by God’s Providence, one evening I met at our good friends’ family, their relative from Thailand: Thairee Ampai.    Being in the hospitality business for decades, she volunteered to provide food for over 100 people, if needed! Joined by Nives Care and her team of cooks (Rosamaria Lia & Maria Perugini) and Sinisita Filitoga offering chicken from the Greek family’s ‘Kings Charcoal Chicken’ in Campbelltown, we were ‘on the track’ for the 25^th Anniversary of our SFRCC celebration diner!

Jennette Beaudoin, who has been in charge of the decoration of venues and tables for the past 13 years, was helped by Nives Care, Sinista Filitoga, Dennis Jean-Baptiste and myself.

Susan Fabro helped with ironing 6 tablecloths from Madagascar. These tablecloths were brought for the occasion by Jeannette Beaudoin with three flags and all decorations inside and outside of the venue.

‘A & L Florist’ from Bossley Park faithfully provided beautiful carnations and other flowers to bring joy of God’s art of natural beauty to participants…

Our sales table was well furnished with chocolates form Poland, thanks to the big heart of Wojciech Serafin from ‘Wawel Import Export’, accompanied with ‘Bowerhaus’ jewellery provided by always devoted to our cause, Elizabeth Lee. Many other items were offered by generosity of Nives Care, Francesca Chow, Fr Jerzy Chrzczonowicz, Maria Vaccari and ‘Roma’ Pizzeria at South Hurstville. Before this Charity Night, also Jeannette Beaudoin, Susan Fabro and Bernard Fortin contributed to the success of our sales.

Excellent champagne for all participants at the entrance with red and white wine for our VIP table and bottled water for all, were generously provided by Angela and Frank Valore from ‘Valore Cellars’.

We were honoured by the attendance of His Lordship Daniel Meagher (auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney), Fr Brian Lucas (National Director of the Catholic Mission), Mr Anthony Knox (Honorary General Consul of Madagascar) with his wife Suzanne, Fr Thomas Alukka (PP at Mater Dei-St Raphael), Sister Telesia Talalua (accompanying sick from New Caledonia and Wallis-Futuna Islands in Sydney metropolitan hospitals) and Br Ben Krupowicz (St Raphael’s).  Mr Martin Jouillard (General Consul of France) sent his apology. My brother, Fr Jerzy, couldn’t attend due to an unexpected medical condition and sent his apology also.

From 6pm, the welcoming glass of champagne with delicious food provided by Nadia and Laurent Schwarz from ‘C’est Si Bon’ patisserie at Rose Bay, facilitated the interaction of participants… The majority, known to each other from our previous Charity Nights, were happy to ‘reconnect’, and the new faces enjoyed an experience of being part of this incredible God’s Charity encounter, making new friends animated by the same Spirit of Generosity…

At 7 pm, Bishop Daniel Meagher opened our gathering with God’s blessing, then everybody moved towards the kitchen with abundantly furnished tables of a great variety of food provided by our benefactors…

In my humble few words, I tried to summarise our last 25 years of experience in providing God’s given – through our common generosity – help to the poorest of the poor in Madagascar, especially now taking care of the education of 17,300 orphans and abandoned children at Akamasoa (‘Good Friends’)… I expressed my gratitude for the presence of Fr Brian Lucas, because thanks to our partnership with Catholic Mission, those of our benefactors who wish it, are able to receive a tax deduction for their contributions.

The abundance of the exceptional main meal was  followed by the drawing of our ‘great’ lottery done by Mrs Suzanne Knox. A delicious and plentiful variety of desserts provided by Nadia and Laurent Schwarz (‘C’est Si Bon’), Thairee Ampai, Nives Care (with her three friends mentioned above) and Rosa Cardoso, was proceeded by ‘Lucky door’ prices drawing assured by Sr Telesia Talalua. The very attractive, 25^th Anniversary cake was offered by Jeannette Beaudoin and Sinisita Filitoga.

Towards the end Fr Lucas presented us with a description of the Catholic Mission’s activities acknowledging the importance of generosity providing support for those in need.

Ending our Siver Jubilee of SFRCC event, George Maurice  – beautifully preformed Charles’s Gounod ‘Ave Maria’.

Yours grateful in Christ for solidarity in uniting us to bring to our adopted poor children the hope of better future:  Fr Jan

            25 years anniversary of SYDNEY FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHARITIES offered us opportunity to continue to be an active part of this endeavor, buying the lottery tickets through our committee members or community leaders in our area. Brooklet of ten for $20 ($2 ticket). Thanks to the generous hearts among us, we can with gratitude to them have a look at the following prizes which were won by following numbers:

1. Bowerhaus* classic mystic blush pearl necklace with earrings valued at $2800.00 – donated by Elizabeth Lee won by number 1150
2. Bowerhaus white pearl necklace with diamanté clasp valued at $1800.00 won by number 8364
3. Oil painting (“Gnoaming in the gnoaming” 90x64cm) by David Robert Hill valued at $1500.00 – donated by the artist won by number 1637
4. Gift Card from Bing Lee (valid 4 years) valued at $1000.00 – donated by Fr Jan  won by number 7987
5.  LG8 Bottle Mini Wine Fridge with dozen wine bottles valued at $569 from «Valore Cellars» won by number 550
6.  Voucher $500.00 from Myer – donated by Nadia Fortuné won by number 9113
7. Voucher $500.00 from International Ceramics won by number 9193
8. Gourmet hamper valued at $280.00 from «Providorium». won by number 6223
9. Gift Basket valued at $250.00 from «GJ Food». won by number 6550
10. Gift basket valued at $100.00 donated by Sybra & Harry Hunt won by number 2493
11. Gift basket valued at $100.00 donated by Sybra & Harry Hunt won by number 8730
12. Supplementary 4 vouchers of $25 form Kings Charcoal Chicken; won by number 6863

                                        Drawn at 33 Church St, Blakehurst – Saturday 21^st October 2023                            

Buying this ticket, you will be 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 33 years it provides an urgent temporary relief to 25000 (17300 children) 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!  (The winning number will be announced on 21/10/23 at www.australiansformadagascar.org) *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)                                                               (10000 tickets printed)