Maria Horkan (Former Step Into the Gap volunteer)
I can easily pinpoint what lit my CAFOD Flame – it was attending the Harambe festivals at Ushaw Collage in Durham when I was young. I used to really love these family days and it was great to learn about CAFOD from an early age and meet CAFOD workers and partners. I particularly enjoyed the sponsored Fun runs!
The CAFOD-organised visit of the Millennium Stars, a Liberian football team, to the North East in 1998 played an unpredictably large part in my CAFOD story. Little did I know, aged 12, that when chatting to the players during a celebration night in Middlesbrough, I would coincidentally meet the team again over 10 years later whilst on the CAFOD Gap Year programme in Liberia! For me this was an incredible yet very real example of the connections formed by CAFOD between communities and individuals across the globe.
The year I spent on the Step into the Gap programme opened my eyes to the behind-the-scenes work of CAFOD in the UK and in the wonderful country of Liberia. It was fantastic to share these experiences with the young people of the north east during Youth Ministry Team retreats and missions. For me, by being involved with CAFOD I have made friendships both at home and abroad and I am certain that the link of CAFOD will continue to play an influential role in my life.
A massive thank you to all the CAFOD team whose work makes such lasting impressions on so many people.
As we mark our 50th anniversary at CAFOD, it is time to reflect. We are asking all staff, volunteers, supporters and other friends of CAFOD to look back over their lives and recall the moment when they were first drawn into the fight against poverty and injustice. http://www.cafod.org.uk/whatlityourflame
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