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Assistance to Father Charles in Sri Lanka

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Raising Money for Father Charles Hewawasam

Hi, my name is Mary (Pat) Craite, and I am raising money to send to Father Charles Hewawasam in Sri Lanka. Many years ago, Fr. Charles was the pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Sapulpa, OK.  His dynamic personality, and how he lived his faith daily, dramatically impacted many of our lives.

As you may know Sri Lanka is in a terrible situation. Father Charles needs our help to feed his flock now and to help them provide food security for the future so they can survive this crisis.

They are experiencing an acute economic crisis that has led to a severe shortage of imported essentials such as: medicine, LPG for cooking, fuel for: transport, power plants and cooking, fertilizer for agriculture. The shortage of fertilizer has resulted in a shortage of rice, the staple food of Sri Lankans and the foundation of agriculture in Sri Lanka. 

They wait in line for days and nights, baked by the hot sun or drenched by the monsoon rains, for propane gas for cooking or fuel for transportation, and then often when they reach the front of the line, the supply is exhausted. Food and medications are scarce.  With the skyrocketing inflation they can no longer afford it, if it is available.  Many people lived with very little before this crisis.  

As a result, many of his "Flock" are barely managing to survive each day, without much hope for tomorrow.  Since returning to Sri Lanka, Fr. Charles has been through a civil war, a tsunami and terrorist church bombings. This is the bleakest that it’s been. It is breaking his heart.

The economists forecast that this crisis will continue for many months, Fr. Charles has planned to mobilize his flock to enable them to literally survive, for instance:

·       His Parish Church of Weligama is blessed with a large garden. Every Sunday after Mass they cultivate their large community garden at the parish. Part of the harvest is used to cook lunch for all who participate. Surplus harvest is sold at a Sunday Market held on the church premises. 

·       He is encouraging everyone to have a home garden and is raising funds to provide materials and supplies to support those who are implementing them.

·       He has added chickens and turkeys to the Parish.  He is encouraging everyone to do the same with “back yard poultry farming”. Funds are required to “subsidize” the purchase of required “inputs” for this purpose.

·       To reduce dependence on LPG cooking gas, he has encouraged his Flock to purchase “charcoal cooking stoves” Funds are required to “subsidies” the purchase of these stoves.

Any small donation will really help. All the money goes directly to Father Charles in Sri Lanka.

Thank you for all of your loving kindness and support.

https://youtu.be/DX9cLlB96ec
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $500
    • 2 yrs
  • Barbara McBrady-Janikula
    • $100
    • 2 yrs
  • Kathleen Smith
    • $25
    • 2 yrs
  • Joanne Smith
    • $100
    • 2 yrs
  • Susan Thompson
    • $750
    • 2 yrs
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Organizer

Mary Craite
Organizer
Albert Lea, MN

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