- Letter from Friar Mike
The Prayer of St Francis, join us in singing this song.Dear Friends,
Peace and all Good!
Much of our efforts over these recent years have been fund raising to pay off the building of the Church. On behalf of the Parish Team I thank you for your support and I know we will make a renewed attempt some time soon to run the last lap to finish off the 1.8 or so million left.
I’m writing to you on behalf of the Franciscan Friars who have decided that another dimension of “Church Building” is our care for the poor, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised. The Custody has decided that we need to play our part in caring for God’s Beloved especially his beloved poor
so much loved by St Francis too. I have agreed that we as the Custody of St Anthony need to start reaching out to those in need even at a time when we ourselves may be in need; for it is “In Giving that We Receive” as the hymn Prayer of St Francis reminds us. I invite you to join us in this project
the friars are embarking on. Join us in singing this song of giving to others what we receive from the graciousness of the Lord.
The Franciscan Friars are delighted to present an exclusive Charity Concert by Hayley Westenra, whose unique new voice has won the hearts of millions around the globe.
Hayley Westenra’s voice has been described as ‘poised’, ‘angelic’ and of ‘breath-taking natural beauty’. She was voted most popular classical artist of 2004 and won two Grammies in Japan. In her homeland of New Zealand, PURE is the biggest-selling New Zealand album of all time. Her new album ODYSSEY looks set to reach similar heights, with its wide embrace of musical styles including classical, hymns, folk and pop.
This 18 year-old’s music releases have included an astoundingly successful version of Amazing Grace, an inspired cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’ and the wonderfully enchanting ‘May It Be’ from the movie The Lord of the Rings. She has duetted with Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Russell Watson, and has performed in some of the world’s greatest concert
venues including the Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York.
On Saturday 3 September 2005, for one night only, we are proud to have Hayley Westenra perform here in our Church of St Mary of the Angels at 8pm, in a special concert organised by the Franciscan Friars in aid of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME).
Today, there are over 500,000 foreign workers on work permits in Singapore. Unfortunately, some of these will inevitably experience crises in the form of industrial accidents, disputes with agents and employers, abuse and exploitation.
HOME is a local non-profit organisation that provides a menÂ’s shelter and a womenÂ’s shelter for those in need, a soup kitchen providing free hot meals for destitute migrants, advocacy and free legal consultation, as well as crisis counselors and helpdesks at Lucky Plaza and Rowell Road to attend to the migrant worker on Sundays.
The founder and president of this non-governmental organisation is Bridget Lew, who is among the 1000 women across the world to have been nominated this year for the Nobel Peace Prize. More information about the organisation and the founder, as well as openings for volunteers can be found on their website
www.home.org.sgWe invite you to pray for the work of this organisation and for the many migrants in crisis whom they serve. We invite you to attend this special Charity Concert that we are organising for an uplifting evening of entertainment in support of HOME and to contribute towards this worthwhile cause. Most of all, we invite you to join us in “rebuilding” our church, that is our wider community
here in Singapore. God Bless You with his Peace!
The Custos: Friar Mike (on behalf of all the friars in the Custody.)
