TO THIS TINY TIN SHACK
WHERE 10 PEOPLE LIVE
TO PLACES LIKE THIS
AND UPLIFT POOR PEOPLE
IN HIS NAME
WITH SOMEONE
ON THE MISSIONS
This one will surely bring the most happiness, relief and heartfelt gratitude.
Just picture the look on the faces of this poor family when Sr Francis arrives at their home, carrying the Buckets of Blessings you sponsored.
Ten people live here in this tiny tin shack. Ten! Four mothers and six children. The house has no toilet or electricity and there is only one bed. Some family members sleep on the bed. Others sleep on the floor. Some even have to sleep under the bed, as there is nowhere else for everyone to lie down.
Cooking is done outside over an open fire. That’s when there’s any food in the house to cook. Too often, they all go to bed hungry.
None of the adults are employed. And, because they don’t have identity documents, they’re unable to access any kind of government support or essential services. They survive mainly through begging.
Sr Francis is helping the mothers with documentation that could enable them to claim a social services grant for the children, at least. But the most pressing need right now is food.
It really would make all the difference to them to be put on our Buckets of Blessings beneficiary list this Christmas.
Each bucket is filled with bags of rice, maize meal, milk powder and sugar … canned meat and fish and a packet of biscuits and some sweets for the children.
Hardly a feast. But a welcome relief from the constant gnaw of hunger and the worry of not having enough food to go round.
But with so many families living below the breadline now in South Africa, it’s going to take all the help we can get to make sure that no one is left out.
Please will you make a donation towards Buckets of Blessings right now?
Your gift of just £12/$15 will cover the cost of a bucket
of basic groceries for a family in true and desperate need.
For many of us, the joy of giving extends beyond our own circle … to those who are poor, homeless, sick and afraid. If you are looking to spread the Christmas message of ‘peace and goodwill towards all men’, please consider donating a Bucket of Blessings now.
In thanksgiving for your kindness and compassion, your special intentions will be included in our special Christmas Mass for friends of the Missions.
May the peace of Christ fill your heart and home this Christmas season. And may you be richly blessed for caring about others in a far off land. Thank you!
LATEST NEWS
Thank you for helping us start the day right!
Special thanks to our generous supporters for contributing so wholeheartedly towards our Mission School Feeding programmes.
Your support means that children who set off to school without breakfast or a lunch-box can look forward to the nourishment they need to grow and learn.
RIP Sr Marion Millane
It is with sadness that we announce the death of Sr Marion Millane on 15 September 2026. She was 87 years old.
A member of the Holy Family Sisters, Sr Marion was inspired by the late Archbishop Dennis Hurley to leave her home in Ireland and come to South Africa to serve as a missionary.
Discovering the chapel at KwaThintwa School for the Deaf
Long-time supporters of the Zulu Missions will recall the heart-warming story behind the establishment of KwaThintwa School for the Deaf by the late Archbishop of Durban, Dennis Hurley.
During a visit to a rural community in Inchanga in 1980, the Archbishop was approached by a young boy, Henry Bekeni Dube, who was deaf. He tugged Hurley’s robes, to get his attention.
Bundles of blankets distributed to the needy – thanks to you!
We asked for your help to bring winter warmth to needy people on the Missions – and once again, your generous response has amazed and humbled us.
Thank you sincerely for opening your hearts and wallets to Mission people who face winter without weather-proof shelter, heating, or hot running water.
From Silence to Success: the inspiring journey of a Deaf learner
My name is Sizwe Minenhle Bengu, and I am a young Deaf man currently pursuing my third year of studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. In 2012, I started school at Kwa Thintwa School for the Deaf, which would become much more than a school to me. For twelve years, it was my second home – a place where I was nurtured, guided, challenged, and empowered.
St Phil’s girls end the year on a high note
News from St Philomena’s Children’s Home is that all but one of the 36 girls passed their year end exams with flying colours. The child who didn’t make it has been placed with another organisation, which will enrol her in a special school.
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Prayers and spiritual support for friends of the missions.
MASS INTENTIONS
Please use the form below to let us know your special intentions for inclusion in our monthly Mass for Mission friends.
MASS INTENTIONS FORM
PRAYERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS
There are times when we feel weary, sad, confused or afraid. And there are times when we burst with joy and thankfulness. Our selection of prayers and readings help you talk to God in good times and bad.
