ALMA SUNDAY 12 July 2009

Church Leaders

• Bishop André Soares (Angola);
• Bishop Dinis Sengulane (Lebombo - Southern Mozambique)
• Bishop Mark Van Koevering (Niassa - Northern Mozambique)

our own leaders here in London:

• The Bishop of London Bishop Richard Chartres
• Bishop Michael Colclough & Ven Rachel Treweek (Chair & Vice Chair ALMA Task Group)

Priests and Catechists in our partner Dioceses

Angola:	41 Parishes; 38 Priests (incl 3 retired); 5 Deacons (incl 1 retired)
Lebombo:	30 Parish Zones; 300 Congregations; 46 Priests; 300 Catechists
Niassa:	30 Parish Zones; 330 Congregations; 42 Priests; 650 Catechists

Training Programmes

Ministry and Mission Project in Angola, and Lay Leaders’ Link in Mozambique, which support the training of Catechists

ALMA Officers and ALMA Reps

Angola:	Fr Nunes Pedro; Mario Dos Santos
London:	Peter Southwood (Link Officer); Sheenagh Burrell (Communications Officer); John Tasker (Twinning Officer) and all the other volunteers on Task Group, the ALMA Chaplains and the 120 ALMA Reps and 100 ALMA Friends who keep the ALMA link thriving
Lebombo:	Josephine Mutemba; Bento Michangula
Niassa:	Revd David Geraldo; Revd Helen Van Koevering; Rebecca Vander Meulen

Link Parishes and Schools

Angola:	9 Link Parishes and 1 Link School
Lebombo:	11 Link Parishes and 2 Link Schools
Niassa:	14 Link Parishes and 1 Link Parent and Toddler group

Lent Appeals and the projects they will fund

• 2008 ‘Education for All’ raised £113,000 towards the building of 3 primary schools. Two in Niassa and Angola are already under construction.
• 2009 ‘Living Water’ has now reached £45,000 which is 75% of its target with money still coming in each week. Many more communities will have the gift of clean water this year.

The Equipas da Vida (HIV teams) and the Mothers’ Union who do such vital work

Pray for the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

‘Supporting the Millennium Development Goals is a 21st century way of loving our neighbour. Promises have been made and world leaders have to be held to account for those promises even at a time of economic difficulty.’ Bishop Richard Chartres. Sept 2008

Prayer for the Millennium Goals from the Center of Concern

In a world where so many go hungry, Let us make the fruits of creation available for all.
In a world where one billion of our brothers and sisters do not have safe drinking water, Let us help the waters run clear.
In a world where so many die so young, and so many mothers die in childbirth, And so many families are ravaged by disease, Let us bring health and healing.
In a world where women carry such heavy burdens, Let us recognize and restore the rights of all.
Let us join together, with a new sense of global community, a new awareness of our need for one another, and for this fragile planet, to meet the clear challenge of the Millennium Goals, to bring hope as substantial as bread, to make human dignity as visible as wheat in the fields. Amen

Other Prayers, Litanies and Information on the Millenium Development Goals

Responsorial Prayer see: Sisters of Mercy site .

(Other websites for information: End Poverty 2015 and United Nations)

See also the materials for Alma Sunday 2007

The pictures in this sheet are from the Rivers of Prayer - an important part of the River of Life Service in St Paul’s Cathedral on 13th July last year when the ALMA Covenant was renewed for another ten years. See www.almalink.org for more.