In preparation for Harvest Fast Day
Three CAFOD volunteers from the Northampton diocese share their experience of preparing for Harvest Fast Day.
Mike Coote from St Teresa’s, Beaconsfield said:
Every year when my Fast Day pack arrives and the autumn leaves start to turn brown, I know it is time to start planning Harvest Fast Day. It is usually a meal where we share homemade soup and bread and people in the congregation make donations to CAFOD.
Donate to the Harvest Appeal now
I am always really excited when my Fast Day pack arrives, I make sure that I put it at the back of the parish so that everyone can read about CAFOD when they leave and over the past few years, the simple poster has grown to a display which is visible from most places in the church. This way people can learn all about the fast day in more detail and they can really see who the appeal helps.
John Fry, the coordinator for Aylesbury, and a volunteer for St Joseph’s Parish said:
I have been reading the short talk at mass for many years now; a few weekends before the event, I stand at the front of mass and tell everyone about what the appeal is about. At first, I used to get really nervous, but now I really enjoy it and look forward to telling my parish about different communities across the world. To prepare, it doesn’t take much, but I think it is a great idea to read through the talk a few times, I sometimes practice in front of a small audience of my friends or family but I really finds this helps to relax me and familiaises me with the Fast Day stories.
If you would like to get involved in Harvest Fast Day, you can download the Harvest Fast Day Appeal short talk
Margaret Wellington from St Dunstan’s parish in Bourne End, said:
Harvest is a special time of year, a time when communities come together and celebrate and this is reflected in my parish, they are all so supportive and help promote the Fast Day by inserting information about the event in the weekly parish newsletter.
It is not only my role which makes Harvest Fast day the tradition which it has become, there are many people in the parish who make tea and coffee, help set up, make the soup and even get the children involved by organising the children’s liturgy. Part of preparing is organising the team that helps make Fast Day’s great, to them I want to say thank you.
We would like to say a massive thank you to volunteers from Northampton and to the hundreds of other volunteers across the country who have got their local community involved in fundraising for the Harvest Fast Day Appeal. You can Learn more about the Harvest Appeal and get involved today.
