Why Am I Involved in D & P?
By Dale McIlmoyl, Eatonia Deanery D&P Leader and Parish Rep for Little Flower Parish, Leader, SK
I first heard of Development and Peace in the late 1990’s at a CWL workshop in Saskatoon. I found it so interesting and wondered why I had never heard about the social justice work, which had been initiated by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, that the Catholic Church was doing in the world.
I became more interested and I got involved in our local parish with the Share Lent campaigns. At that time I didn’t realize there was also a Fall Campaign.
I always enjoyed the material that was sent out to the parishes for the Share Lent and Fall Campaigns. I learned so much when I read the information that was sent out each year. Now the material is online so it is very easy to access at www.devp.org/en/ or call 1-888-234-8533.
I started trying to get more people interested in the Share Lent campaign and I would discuss it at our CWL meetings. I became the parish rep and ordered the supplies for our cluster of three parishes to make sure everyone was hearing about the good work that D & P was doing. I would use the various information tools received from D & P, i.e. the weekly announcements, posters, Stations of the Cross, various display ideas, to inform the parish. I also encouraged the other parishes in our cluster to do as much as they could.
A few years ago I was asked to be the D&P Leader for the Eatonia Deanery. My job was to work with parishes to get a D&P rep for their parish and to pass on the information to the other nine parishes in the region. Since we are in a rural area with many miles separating us and with dwindling numbers, we have reps from seven of the nine parishes (the two with no reps are very small parishes).
I have to admit at times I’m not very fast in forwarding information (it’s been a learning curve for sure) but the parish contacts have been very helpful and able to get the information out to their parishes.
I encourage everyone to learn about the good work that the Development and Peace organization has done to help with social justice in the world over the last 50+ years.
Share Lent 2022 – Development and Peace / Caritas Canada’s People and Planet First campaign invites us to support our sisters and brothers in the Global South in defending their rights and the planet:
- Donate online at devp.org/give or during the Solidarity Sunday collection on April 3, the fifth Sunday of Lent. Your generosity helps support over 85 projects in 27 countries around the world.
- Learn more by reading the Share Lent mini-magazine and other resources available at devp.org/lent/resources.
- Sign the petition for strong laws to control Canadian corporations’ behaviour abroad at devp.org/act.
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