C&SI - Mary's Meals with Fr Eamon Kelly - 28 July 2024 (S04E36)

On this weeks podcast, John meets up with Fr Eamon Kelly from Donegal who shares with us his experience of volunteering with the charity Mary's Meals. We have our regular run through the liturgical odds and ins this week and the reflection on the Sunday gospel with our wandering panellist Shane to assist John in the process. 

Step by Step to feed the next Child - Mary's Meals.
Starting out initially as a response to the needs of families in the former Yugoslavia in 1983, the charity has now expanded serving 2,429,182 children across 17 countries, in communities where hunger and poverty would prevent children from gaining an education. Fr Eamon tells us how for the past eleven years in Ireland, volunteers have walked to Knock Shrine to raise awareness of, and funds for, Mary's Meals. For 2024 they are now launching Step by Step to Feed the Next Child 2024 with walks originating in Malin (Donegal), Thurles, Cavan, the Spire (Dublin), Kilkenny, Longford, Limerick and N Ireland. All walks go from 7 August to 15 August. They are seeking people to help create new walks, join in the walks for a day or half day or a few hours, collect funds, take a sponsor card or promote the walk. 

It costs €22 to give a child a meal each day in school for a school year and every eleven cents raised provides a meal. This is a great way of gaining a bit of fitness and doing great work at the same time.  

Contact details are: Eamonn Kelly (Rev), Parochial House, Convoy, Co. Donegal, F93HX2R, eamonnkelly1949@gmail.com or 0879077985.

• Mary's Meals website
• Books and short films about Mary's Meals work
• The Wave - Father Eamonn Kelly shares a moving experience from a recent self-funded trip to Malawi
• ‘Please Feed a Child’ - Fr Eamonn's book of poetry and reflections