Penny carnival pays off big time

Children's donations support Holy Childhood Association

By BILL GLEN
WCR Staff Writer
Sasktaoon, Sask.

For 50 cents, or a roll of pennies, children participated in games like Heavenly Landings, Hop-scotch Through the Cross, Fishing in the Jordan River or Sewing Seeds for Jesus.

"It was great fun," said Sorenson, a former teacher. "Each class of our catechism students created a game that would follow a theme to reflect what they learned. We hold the carnival on the Sunday before the Holy Childhood Mass. The kids love it."

And the poor will benefit because Sorenson presented Archbishop Thomas Collins with a cheque for $755 during the May 4 Mass held at St. Theresa Church.

"The whole idea was to reinforce the 50 days of Easter. We should be celebrating as Christians and every roll of pennies was to remind us of that," Sorenson said.

More than 1,500 elementary and junior high students attended the seventh annual Holy Childhood Mass celebrated by the archbishop. It was the largest Holy Childhood service the archdiocese has seen.

St. Theresa pastor Father Martin Carroll was on hand, as were associate pastor Father Jim Corrigan and HCA diocesan director Father Michael Troy.

Collins told the students of the importance of getting involved in activities that benefit the lives of the less fortunate. Children of the Edmonton Archdiocese are regarded by the HCA as leaders in Canada for their support.

"We are all called to go and serve, to help other people," he said. "We must remember God is first, my neighbour is second and I am third."

Archdiocesan Mission Council chair Jan Dunnigan estimated that some $40,000 will be donated to the HCA again this year. Funds will go to the needs of children and youth in Thailand, Dijibouti and South Africa.

"We must remember God is first, my neighbour is second and I am third." - Archbishop Thomas Collins

The council is the driving force every year getting parishes, schools, teachers and students involved with the HCA. Prayers and pennies support institutions and organizations concerned with children below the age of 14. This includes nursery centres, orphanages, schools, hospitals, refugee camps and handicapped centres.

"There is no doubt that we have come a long way, " said Dunnigan, who took over the bulk of the duties from Troy a year ago.

"As far as contributions from the children are concerned, we are either first or second in Canada next to Calgary. I think that is wonderful, but where do we go from here?"

The amount could go much higher if more people in the archdiocese participated. Dunnigan would like to see participation in the annual Mass expanded across the archdiocese because the children who are bused in generally come from Edmonton and the immediate area.

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