There are currently 7 members including our chairman and treasurer, Anne Callaghan. We meet monthly at Anne's house, 49 Greengate Lane, Knaresborough.

During the 1980s St Mary's parish made contact with two parishes in Africa, Titao in Burkina Faso and Kala in Tanzania. The aim was to encourage the spread of the Christian faith and to assist in the provision of basic needs such as the sinking of a well in the village of Titao and the purchase of a boat for the priest in Kala, who could then travel to outstations along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

In 1987 the £1 per month envelope scheme was launched to relieve famine in Titao. This has continued and we have currently sixty members. The scheme funded a school for teenage boys and girls to develop their basic education and to study more efficient ways of cultivating the staple crop of millet and of caring for livestock.

Fr Matthew became parish priest at Titao in 1994 and proved an excellent correspondent. He visited Knaresborough in 1996 and was warmly welcomed. Soon after his return to West Africa his moped broke down beyond repair. An appeal to the parish and schools raised £1600 in less than 12 months. The parish of Titao now has a new parish priest, Fr Armand and two curates. They are preparing for the arrival of three couples trained as catechists who will visit the numerous villages. Fr Armand keeps us informed as to the state of the parish.

Fr Matthew was moved to new work as chaplain to the school children and young people of Ouahigouya. He and his team of helpers organised talks and discussions in the limited facilities existing in the chaplaincy. He was anxious to provide a basic study centre so that the children could do their homework in electric light, assisted by a supply of textbooks. In Advent 1999, St John Fisher's and St Robert's schools raised £1975 to set up such a building. In June 2000 Fr Matthew visited England again to tell us how delighted the youngsters were with the new buildings, and to express his profound gratitude.

Meanwhile in Kala, for the past 5 years the parish priest has been a local man, Fr Modest. A corn mill was sent to the parish before his arrival and this benefitted not only his parishioners but people from further afield. Fr Modest worked single-handed to serve a number of outstations, battling against frequent floods. He has now been replaced by Fr Francis, another local man who was ordained at the same time as Fr Modest. Life is also a struggle for him and his people; earthquakes, famine, floods and cholera have all taken their toll. He has many outstations where he travels to say Mass and administer the sacraments. He is very grateful when we send approximately £500 per year and uses the money carefully. Fund-raising has been through donations, an annual quiz and several raffles.

Fr Terry Madden has returned to his beloved Burkina Faso, although not to Titao.

The Justice and Peace group receives news of CAFOD's initiatives and writes to the local MP on subjects of topical concern such as the recent distribution of free cigarettes to children in Africa by the giant Anglo-American tobacco company, BAT.

Letters are sent to embassies asking for investigation into cases of injustice towards prisoners of conscience discovered by Amnesty International. At Christmas, the parish are invited to send greeting cards to such prisoners. This has proved very successful.

In all these ways the Justice and Peace group helps the parish to fulfil its obligation to the developing world and to assist in campaigns against unjust practice by governments.

Text by Evelyn Coman