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The Mission Committee

The Mission Committee is a small group of parishioners involved in organizing fundraising events within our community to help support those in need at local, national and international levels. We would welcome any parishioners with a willingness to bring new ideas and perspectives to join us at our meetings 2-3 times a year. We would especially like to invite members of the Polish Community to join with us in searching for the best opportunities to help those in need.

Catering for an aging world

HelpAge International: catering for an aging world 


Vatican Radio 08/03/2012


March 8th is International Women’s Day and "HelpAge International" is calling for urgent action to help millions of older women who are the invisible backbone of communities, families and food production.
HelpAge International is the only global organisation with a singular focus on providing assistance to and advocating for disadvantaged older people.
It has been selected to receive the 2012 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize of $1.5 million, for its work to alleviate human suffering.
The foundation made the announcement today on International Women’s Day in recognition of the invisible role of older women in maintaining the welfare of families, communities and food production across the developing world.
LInda Bordoni spoke to Richard Blewitt, chief executive officer of HelpAge International who explained that our world is continuing to age and that we must prepare for this monumental demographic shift.
One of the missions of HelpAge, he explained, is showing to raise awareness as to the importance of recognising and supporting older people so they can continue to be contributing and productive members of society.
Blewitt also explains that HelpAge is both an advocacy and development organisation and works in different areas providing emergency relief work, health care, legal advice and financial support for older people.
Blewitt points out that as the world population ages, women make up the majority of older people around the world – nearly two thirds of those over the age of 80 are women.
He says that many older women in developing countries are not only the economic providers for families, but frequently they are the sole caregivers of AIDS orphaned grandchildren. In Kenya alone, there are 1.1 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS; in a country where more than half of those over aged 60 already live in absolute poverty.
On International Women’s Day, he says, HelpAge wants older women farmers to get the help they deserve, including: targeted agricultural subsidies, a basic form of pension for agricultural workers and increased skill sharing with children to protect future generations”.
But not only on International Women's Day, Blewitt says it is a fundamental challenge to make sure that all parts of the community can actually move ahead and succeed in their lives: We call it the longevity dividend: the countries that are going to succeed for tomorrow are the ones that actually value age and can see older people as relevant economic stakeholders, political stakeholders and social stakeholders. Those that marginilize them - Blewitt says - are going to be the societies of yesterday.

HelpAge Canada - Aide aux Aînés (Canada) is affiliated with "HelpAge International" and is a Canadian registered charity click here.

Canada: Families need to be strong

Provinces in Canada on Monday celebrated “Family Day,” a day for people to take time for their loved ones and emphasise the importance of family values.

Speaking in Rome, Canada’s newest Cardinal, Archbishop Thomas Christopher Collins talked to us about the importance of the family in the modern world. “Our families are the most basic communities, and yet we see… many struggles in families. I think that very often, some of the things that Paul VI prophesied in Humanae vitae have come to pass. So there are many, many struggles that people face, but also many joyful things.”

He spoke about the need to celebrate movements within the Church that aim at strengthening the family, including Marriage Encounter and Engaged Encounter, and Retrouvaille for families that are struggling. He said the family “is the most fundamental community. It needs to be strong.”