Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bishop emphasises importance of SVP appeal

An Irish Catholic Bishop has urged people to give generously to the Saint Vincent De Paul (SVP) organisation to help families this Christmas.  

The Bishop of Killalla John Fleming has urged people to give generously.  Speaking at all masses in Ballina in County Mayo last weekend he said that employment is the best hope of helping the youth of today and that the Saint Vincent De Paul organisation does everything it can to prepare young people for employment. 

He said that in the Ballina area alone, the society had spent €65,000 on education, a figure that represented the society's largest single expenditure in the area in 2009.  

The Bishop also told the congregation that the society spent €155,600 in total in the Ballina area in 2009 with the money going on such things as cash assistance, help with electricity bills and education support. 

He also noted that the current year had been the busiest-ever year for the society in the region with the society processing a daily average of twenty-five claims. 

He also noted that the Ballina centre has had to provide extra educational courses because of increasing demand for educational courses due to rising unemployment. 

SIC: CIN/IE