With the end of a long winter comes the conclusion of another Share Lent campaign. This 46-year long tradition brings together Development and Peace members, partners and staff who gather in cities and towns across Canada to share the experience of international solidarity together.
This year, Development and Peace joined our voice with Caritas Internationalis to support the One Human Family, Food for All global campaign, to put an end to hunger in the world.
Activities were organized across the country, which began with the Shrove Tuesday event where Development and Peace members and donors gathered in Montreal for a memorable luncheon with special guests Bishop Faddoul, President of Caritas Lebanon, and Dr. Rita Rhayem, Chief of Medical Services at Caritas Lebanon.
The official national launch of the campaign took place the next day on Ash Wednesday in Hamilton, with special guests Most Rev. Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton, and Fr. Hagos Hayish, Secretary General of Caritas Ethiopia. Development and Peace President, Pat Kennedy, and National Council member Julie Dwyer-Young were present to introduce the guests and help launch the campaign.
During the course of the campaign, five solidarity visitors traveled to various parts of Canada (Alberta, Ontario and Quebec) to share stories of the impact of our projects on vulnerable populations in Ethiopia, Lebanon, Nigeria and Peru.
The new Share Lent campaign material included a magazine, a prayer card, a bookmark and a children’s activity sheet, which were distributed to parishes, schools, and communities across the country. The campaign video offered a glimpse into the work of our partners around the world.
The documentary film, On the Road to Food Sovereignty, which profiles the work of our partners in Haiti, was launched and has been featured at various local events organized by our members in dioceses and parishes from coast to coast.
We want to say a big thank you to the generous people across the country who donated to Development and Peace on Solidarity Sunday or online, and all of those who participated in other Share Lent fundraising activities.
We also want to thank all the young people who fasted for 25 hours as part of THINKfast at their school or parish. Over 90 groups were registered this year, raising more than $15,000 through online fundraising.
We are also very grateful to the 50 Good Friday Fast fundraisers who took the time to fast and reflect on the issue of world hunger and who raised $12,000 in online donations.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone for being so supportive and generous with Development and Peace, and supporting our partners in the Global South who are changing lives. Your support enables us to continue our work and strive for a more just world!
Here are a few images of the many events that took place during Share Lent: