- Letter from Friar Mike
The Prayer of St Francis,
join us in singing this song.
Dear Friends,
Peace and all Good!
Much of our efforts over these recent years have been fund raising
to pay off the building of the Church. On behalf of the Parish Team
I thank you for your support and I know we will make a renewed
attempt some time soon to run the last lap to finish off the 1.8 or
so million left.
Im writing to you on behalf of the Franciscan Friars who have
decided that another dimension of Church Building is our care for
the poor, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised. The Custody
has decided that we need to play our part in caring for Gods
Beloved especially his beloved poor
so much loved by St Francis too. I have agreed that we as the
Custody of St Anthony need to start reaching out to those in need
even at a time when we ourselves may be in need; for it is In
Giving that We Receive as the hymn Prayer of St Francis reminds
us. I invite you to join us in this project
the friars are embarking on. Join us in singing this song of giving
to others what we receive from the graciousness of the Lord.
The Franciscan Friars are delighted to present an exclusive Charity
Concert by Hayley Westenra, whose unique new voice has won the
hearts of millions around the globe.
Hayley Westenras voice has been described as poised, angelic
and of breath-taking natural beauty. She was voted most popular
classical artist of 2004 and won two Grammies in Japan. In her
homeland of New Zealand, PURE is the biggest-selling New Zealand
album of all time. Her new album ODYSSEY looks set to reach similar
heights, with its wide embrace of musical styles including
classical, hymns, folk and pop.
This 18 year-olds music releases have included an astoundingly
successful version of Amazing Grace, an inspired cover of Joni
Mitchells Both Sides Now and the wonderfully enchanting May It
Be from the movie The Lord of the Rings. She has duetted with
Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Russell Watson, and
has performed in some of the worlds greatest concert
venues including the Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall in
London and Carnegie Hall in New York.
On Saturday 3 September 2005, for one night only, we are proud to
have Hayley Westenra perform here in our Church of St Mary of the
Angels at 8pm, in a special concert organised by the Franciscan
Friars in aid of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration
Economics (HOME).
Today, there are over 500,000 foreign workers on work permits in
Singapore. Unfortunately, some of these will inevitably experience
crises in the form of industrial accidents, disputes with agents
and employers, abuse and exploitation.
HOME is a local non-profit organisation that provides a mens
shelter and a womens shelter for those in need, a soup kitchen
providing free hot meals for destitute migrants, advocacy and free
legal consultation, as well as crisis counselors and helpdesks at
Lucky Plaza and Rowell Road to attend to the migrant worker on
Sundays.
The founder and president of this non-governmental organisation is
Bridget Lew, who is among the 1000 women across the world to have
been nominated this year for the Nobel Peace Prize. More
information about the organisation and the founder, as well as
openings for volunteers can be found on their website www.home.org.sg
We invite you to pray for the work of this organisation and for the
many migrants in crisis whom they serve. We invite you to attend
this special Charity Concert that we are organising for an
uplifting evening of entertainment in support of HOME and to
contribute towards this worthwhile cause. Most of all, we invite
you to join us in rebuilding our church, that is our wider
community
here in Singapore. God Bless You with his Peace!
The Custos: Friar Mike (on behalf of all the friars in the
Custody.)
