Catholic parish in Australia turns recyclable into aid

KENMORE parish in Queensland, Australia has furthered its commitment to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ “On Care for our Common Home” by turning recyclables into foreign aid donations.
The parish collected more than 4,000 recyclable containers such as bottles, cans and cardboard, which earn 10 cents (23 toea) per unit under the Queensland Government initiative containers for cash.
The funds collected by the parish were used to buy a boat for a Papua New Guinean bishop.
“We had a parishioner come to us last year about helping buy a small boat for Fr Sam Phasz, a priest of the diocese of Alotau-Sideia in Milne Bay and his ministry throughout this remote area of PNG,” parish priest Fr Mark Franklin said.
“The parish is mainly water, so it would enable the priest to get around the islands and see his diocese.
“The boat is also used for delivery of food and medical items and taking people to hospital.”
Franklin said he started the project about two months ago as part of a communal partnership with Kenmore Rotary Club.
“One of our parishioners who is a member of Rotary came to us a while ago about being in partnership with the Kenmore Rotary regarding (the parish) being a distribution point for containers for cash,” he said.
“The parish keeps fifty per cent of the funds, which we then hand on to the diocese of Alotau-Sideia.”
Franklin said the Containers for Cash initiative was a practical way to raise money while also raising environmental awareness in the parish. – The Catholic Leader