Almighty Father, we thank-you for the divine gifts of faith, hope and charity. Help us as Vincentians to live out these virtues in an increasingly isolated world. May we imitate your Holy Son, Jesus Christ, to unite our hearts with the heights and depths of your love. Hear our prayers and bless our work for the downtrodden and oppressed, those suffering from the effects of poverty, and those who are lonely and in need of support. Holy Spirit, inspire and work in us. We ask this of you, God, three-in-one. Amen.
These stories of SVP work in India during 2020 have come directly from our twinned conferences. Twinnage support from England & Wales is greatly appreciated by our brothers and sisters abroad.
Read the uplifting reports from SVP activity collecting goods and gifts and distributing them to their local communities, despite COVID-19 difficulties.
Story contributed by Collete H.
Although 2020 will be remembered by many as a year of sadness and doom and gloom, we at Saint Joseph's SVP and Holy Family SVP conferences have a heart-warming success story to share with you.
Out of those cold lockdown winter months emerged a project of wonderful collaboration and hard work by an amazing group of people. The compilation and delivery of 90 hampers to care homes and individuals was inspiring and touched the lives of many in our community. Despite all the problems of lockdown restrictions, odd shaped cardboard boxes and wrong sized cellophane, we managed to create beautiful hampers purely because of the energy, goodwill, creativity and determination of those involved. Our starting intention was to provide a hamper of Christmas treats to make up for the fact that COVID-19 had scuppered our plans for our usual Christmas lunch party. The idea was to involve a variety of groups to make it a real community effort.
It was decided that St Joseph’s SVP conference in Sale should link up with our sister parish’s SVP conference, Holy Family in Sale Moor to manage the project. We invited the Youth SVP groups, other young people and the staff of Loreto Grammar School, Blessed Thomas Holford College and St Ambrose College to contribute to the project by collecting specific items for the hampers, making Christmas cards and decorating the hamper boxes. Our two parish primary schools were also involved in the collection of chocolate and making cards for the boxes. We were overwhelmed by their enthusiasm to be involved and the massive contribution they all made. We also involved the catering company who normally provide the hot Christmas lunch for our guests by asking them to make mince pies and individual slices of Christmas cake to go in the hampers. Our parish priest Father Stephen W. who runs both parishes, allowed us a special collection from parishioners.
In short, the success of our project renewed our faith in the human spirit to reach out to others, hope that we have the capacity to achieve even greater things in the future and confidence to believe that great good can come from dark times.

- Story contributed by Simon Corless, Deputy Head:
"Members of St Alban’s Catholic High School students, parents and staff have been collecting food and Christmas treats for deserving families in our community.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community mince pies, Christmas puddings and Christmas crackers are amongst the items that have filled 103 hampers, being delivered by our dedicated staff on the last two days of term after work.
We would specifically like to thank the local firm Stokes Sauces, who supplied a significant supply of beautiful jam.
We hope that this brings a little joy and happiness to those families, as well as shine a light on the good that we can bring to each other in challenging times.
Deo gratias."

By Gaye P., conference secretary
"…The Christmas Hamper Campaign has been running at St Margaret Mary, Park Gate, for several years, growing in size year on year. In the normal way a request for donations goes out to the parish in November and groceries are collected and purchased over a period of several weeks and stored in the parish hall along with an assortment of cardboard boxes and wrapping paper, gathered along the way. The campaign culminates with a large team of willing and merry volunteers working together in the parish hall in a convivial hands-on evening of sorting, wrapping and packing.
…In addition to the logistical difficulties, it was clear from early in our planning that, due to the knock-on effects of COVID-19, the need for the food hampers in December 2020 would be greater than ever. Unsure of how successful the fundraising campaign would be, given the pandemic restrictions, …there was a certain level of anxiety as to how many hampers we would be legitimately able to commit to. More than once we agreed to close the list only to open it again when further requests were received. However, having put our faith in God and in our parish the final total achieved was 88 – more than twice the number of hampers that the SVP delivered at Christmas 2019.
Social distancing and lockdown restrictions presented the team with obvious logistical challenges when considering the procurement of enough cardboard boxes of the right size and strength, as well as the wrapping paper and tape to cover them, the purchasing and storage of vast quantities of groceries and goodies, the packing of the boxes and the delivery of 88 finished hampers to schools, health visitors and private homes in our local community.
Prayers were said, team and sub-team meetings were held by Zoom, phone and Whatsapp, spreadsheets were created, roles were assigned, and, tasks, which in October had looked impossibly daunting, were completed with dedication and enthusiasm. None of this would have been possible without the ongoing generosity and support of the parish of St Margaret Mary as well as of friends from outside the parish.
As we enter 2021, with rising levels of COVID-19 and the consequences of this terrible pandemic, sadly, we anticipate increasing levels of hardship for many families in our community. However, we know that with the grace of The Holy Spirit and the continued support and generosity of our parish we will be blessed with being able to help more people in need than ever before."

It was late October 1989, I had just walked in the house from Mass on a Sunday morning. I had been the reader at Mass that day and my two boys both served on the altar. I also had my 13 month old daughter with me. I started to make toast and a cup of tea, but felt sort of sickly. I couldn't eat the toast - that's what Morning Sickness does to you. I turned around and said to my husband, who was sat at the table at this point, that I didn't feel well and thought I may be pregnant. His response floored me………
“you cant be pregnant when our marriage is in the state its in?”………..Why? whats wrong with our marriage?……."Well, I don't love you!!"
The bottom fell out of my world. He walked out of the room and proceeded to pack his bags. He left that day. What could we do? I had 2 sons aged 12 and 14, a baby daughter, another child on the way, a mortgage I couldn't pay because I wasn't working and no family around me.
It was a truly terrible time. I became so ill, I simply couldn't function. When I went to the doctors it turned out I was about 14 weeks pregnant. Still, to this day it upsets me remembering this time in my life.
Anyway, Father G. my Parish Priest referred me for support from the SVP. I knew the members from seeing them stood at the back of church at Mass times, but I'd never had more than a passing word with them. They took me under their angel wings and supported me through some very bad times.
So, it came to my due date, well, actually 3 weeks before my due date. I went into labour, it happened very quickly. Thinking I would be back home soon, I arranged for my neighbour to look after the children whilst another friend whizzed me to hospital. Things didn't go to plan, I haemorrhaged after the birth of my son. I was very close to death, I was losing so much blood. I had to be rushed to surgery. Nobody knew, I didn't know who was looking after the kids, it was just awful. Then after surgery, I needed several blood transfusions so I was in hospital for about 10 days. The neighbour had managed to divvy out the kids to other friends and had arranged for my older sister from Wales to come on my discharge from hospital to look after me. The hospital wouldn't let me go home with a new baby to an empty house. I was so poorly that the local authority gave me a “home help” for 6 weeks.
Then the SVP stepped in. They visited me often, they would do my ironing, cut the grass, watch the children for a while so I could have a bath in peace. They brought me cake, biscuits, sweets for the children, home baked pies. I couldn't have managed without them. When it came to the baptism on June 24th (St John the Baptist Feast) they even bought a new dress for my little girl so she looked smart. After the baptism, they brought food to my house so I could invite people back for a little celebration. It was all done with such kindness and never judging. In their honour my son was named Liam John Vincent. Liam is now 31 years old and married with 2 daughters.
I always knew that I would one day be able to pay back for their kindness. And as I am now semi-retired this was the time.
So two years ago, I contacted SVP Head Office to see if there was a group in my area. And there was, it was located at the church where my parents and brother are buried. I knew immediately I had a connection. I attended my first meeting after being invited by our President, Ela and found that my next door neighbour was also a long term member.
Now, through the SVP I volunteer on a weekly basis at the foodbank (this is temporarily on hold due to not being able to mix during the pandemic) and I've been involved in helping several local families who find themselves in a situation very similar to the one I was in 31 years ago. I also feel I have made true and lasting friendships through the group.
I hope you find my story of interest.
Regards and blessings
Alison
27 November 2020

If you have a story you would like to add please get in touch with Seb at sebs@svp.org.uk
Do you fancy lighting a candle for someone? The SVP has a virtual platform where together, despite this lockdown, our prayers can still shed some light in the darkness. Click here to find out more.
Click here to open up each day as it comes during Christmastide, for a wealth of reflections and videos from Jon Cornwall, Head of Membership.

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