Category: Lenten Project

2023 Lent Project – ‘Bread of Life’

This Sunday (2nd in Lent) we are launching our Lent Project, which this year will be for the Charity ‘Bread of Life’.
The Sons of Divine Providence community in Hampton Wick, under the direction of Fr John Perrotta have had this outreach for some time now, Registered Charity: 1088675. I have come to know Fr John quite well in recent years and the work he does for this charity. Some of you may also know him and his church community.
The charity works, mainly in Africa, to help children who are homeless, orphans, victims of war  or disabled and needing suport for basic education. These are the things we take for granted, such as homes, education, living in peace and so on.
In Malawi, little Nelson had a wheelchair purchased for him so that he could go to school and church and be able to meet with his friends. Also in Malawi, a bag of maize was given to a family to enable them to eat for a month. Food and clothing were provided in Sri Lanka following heavy rain and flooding. A teacher, Rose, was helped to qualify in Meru, Kenya. These are just some of the ways in which Fr John’s charity has helped the needy.
Any Lenten Alms we collect will be given to the project. We have decided to add the Ash Wednesday collection to the LentProject as well. Dr David Kennedy will also be giving talks soon and contributions from listeners can be added. Our Wednesday Group has also helped the Lent Project in the past. If you have any ideas for helping the collection, please let me know.

Lenten Project: Help for Ukraine

During Lent the Parish is going to collect money in aid of the people of the Ukraine. We will send this to ‘Aid To The Church in Need’ who have launched an appeal for this to support the work of the Church in Ukraine providing aid and comfort to their fearful people, to refugees displaced by violence, to vulnerable children in orphanages, single mothers and the elderly.  All are facing the challenge of surviving as costs spiral as a result of the war. Your kind donation, of whatever you can afford, will help get aid to where it is needed most at this distressing time.

For the rest of Lent, the black iron collection box at the back of the church will be used to collect money. You can also put donations in envelopes marked ‘Ukraine’ in the normal Sunday collection bags, or hand them into the sacristy or Parish Office. For more details of Aid to the Church in Need’s appeal go to

acnuk.org/our-campaigns/emergency-appeal-for-ukraine/

St. Mark’s Church, on St. Mark’s Hill in Surbiton are collecting items of aid with the local Ukrainian community to be sent via a lorry to the Ukraine. They need the following items.

  • Medical: bandages, first aid kits and non prescription drugs (neurofen/ ibuprofen).
  • Toiletries: toothpaste, women’s sanitary items and bodywash.
  • Baby stuff: baby dried formula milk and nappies.
  • Please no clothes, blankets or duvets. 

For more information, please call St. Mark’s Parish Office on 020 8390 9129.

Ash Wednesday

This coming Wednesday 6th March is Ash Wednesday. There will be three Masses in the Parish  – 12.noon, 7.30pm and a mass at St. Joseph’s School at 9.15am.

Ash Wednesday is a day of Fasting of and abstinence – This means everyone over the age of 14 is bound to abstain from eating meat on this day. In addition everyone aged between 18 – 60 are bound to fast. Following the 12.noon Mass we shall have a Lenten Lunch in the hall consisting of soup and a bread roll.

(Suggested donation of £5.00 in aid of our Lenten Project.)