WelCom February 2020
Renewed by the Spirit
Gaudete et Exsultate, Pope Francis
The Lent Appeal on behalf of the New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops Conference enables Caritas to continue working to heal and support those overcome by poverty and injustice around the world.
Photo: Life Teen Wellington
Lent 2020: A Call to Renewal
What does it mean to be renewed? When we come into the world, God sets us on a path: we are meant to spread the word of God and live the commandment to love and serve one another as Jesus loves and serves us. Over time we can get weighed down by distractions, temptations, doubt, grief and suffering. We can get lost and confused, diverted from the path that God has set out for us.
To be renewed by the Spirit is to encounter God and allow him to guide us, giving us the strength to live out our journey of faith and invite others to join us on our way. God’s grace shines through us in our renewal and enables us to reach out with hope and love to those in need.
For the 2020 Lent Appeal, Caritas invites you to join us in reflecting on the work we all do to bring this renewal to those on the margins, the poor and vulnerable around the world and in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Get Involved through Lent Speaking
Are you interested in supporting the work of Caritas in an active way in your community?
We invite you to consider volunteering as a Lent speaker within your parish. As a Lent speaker, you will help to share information about Caritas with your parish and encourage others in your community to get involved.
Caritas will provide support and training for all interested speakers. We would love to hear from you!
If you would like to join our team of Lent speakers for 2020 or if you just want to find our more about Lent speaking, please contact Mareta Tana at caritas@caritas.org.nz.
Lenten Reflections
Each year, Caritas creates a Lenten Reflection Programme (LRP) to support parishes, communities, families and individuals as they pray and spend time with the Gospels during Lent.
The LRP includes prayers, Gospel readings and reflections, discussion materials and information about Caritas projects with a focus on helping us live out our faith during the Lenten season. It is available in English, Te Reo Māori, Samoan and Tongan language versions.
LRP booklets can be ordered from the Caritas office for a small fee by calling 0800 22 10 22 or emailing caritas@caritas.org.nz. They can also be downloaded for free from the Caritas website: www.caritas.org.nz/lent.
“May you come to realise what that word is, the message of Jesus that God wants to speak to the world by your life. Let yourself be transformed. Let yourself be renewed by the Spirit, so that this can happen, lest you fail in your precious mission. The Lord will bring it to fulfilment despite your mistakes and missteps, provided that you do not abandon the path of love but remain ever open to his supernatural grace, which purifies and enlightens.” – Pope Francis: Gaudete et Exsultate – Rejoice and Exult (paragraph 24), 2018
“God wants to speak to the world by your life… do not abandon the path of love”
The theme for 2020 is “Renewed by the Spirit,” taken from Pope Francis’ 2018 apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate – Rejoice and Exult. This theme reminds us of the call to encounter God and allow him to guide us, giving us the strength to live out our journey of faith and invite others to join us on our way.
Lent in Schools 2020
The Lent resources for schools in 2020 are entitled Caritas in Action: Restoring Hope and Spreading Love. They highlight the ways in which Caritas works in solidarity with vulnerable people to bring transformation, renewal, hope and peace.
The resources this year have been designed to build upon past resources over the last six years. They provide new stories and updates to the many programmes that have been shared in schools.
There are a range of lesson packs that include stories, updates, lessons, prayers and worksheets for specific countries and themes, giving teachers the flexibility to adapt lessons for any level. PowerPoints, posters, games, liturgies, online materials and videos are also available.
All of these resources have been sent to schools and are available to download on the Caritas website: www.caritas.org.nz/lent-schools.
Caritas Challenge
Registration is now open for Caritas Challenge 2020, a fun and engaging annual event for schools and youth groups around New Zealand. Students and young people are challenged to Move It, Live It, Sweat It or Stop It for 24 hours to to show solidarity with those living with poverty and injustice and to raise vital funds that will support Caritas programmes.
Participating groups can get involved in the Caritas Challenge at any time within the six-week period from 1 May to 14 June 2020.
For more information about the Caritas Challenge or to register your own group for 2020, please visit our website: www.caritas.org.nz/caritas-challenge.
Photo: Ismail Ferdous for Catholic Relief Services/Caritas Internationalis
Your Lent donations will save lives
Thank you to all those who have already generously supported our life-changing work by donating to the Lent Appeal in previous years.
The ongoing support from generous donors enables us to continue our development, emergency relief, advocacy and education work around the world, including in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Donate throughout the weeks of Lent, or make a one-off donation using the Lent Appeal weekly or single donation envelopes distributed by your parish.
Leave donation envelopes in your parish collection basket or post to Caritas: PO Box 12193, Wellington 6144.
You can also donate online at our website or call us at the phone number below.
www.caritas.org.nz
0800 22 10 22
caritas@caritas.org.nz