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Tuesday is the UN World Day of Social Justice, a topic that has underpinned the mission of the SVP since Blessed Frederic Ozanam founded the very first SVP conference, in Paris, in 1833. Social justice is a very live issue today, just as it was 191 years ago. Jesus once said to Judas that we would always have the poor with us – not as a fait accompli, but as an observation of how we have set up society. It may well be that we have set up society in a faulty way, resulting in the difficult social justice issues that we face.

You may recently have read the statistic that more than 50 major elections, involving a total electorate of 2 billion people, are due to take place this year. If this is true, then this is a record for any given year! We, too, will likely face a general election, so why not prepare and inform yourself of the important issues?

A quick browse of the national SVP website will give you a good flavour of the issues of social justice that we all have a say in. Rather than letting a newspaper headline, or the politician with the loudest voice, govern your opinion, maybe you could use this ‘quiet’ time to do a bit of background reading and a bit of self-education, which will then place you in a much more informed position when the big day comes!! Have a think!

The SVP team, and our various workstreams, are now very much back to ‘Business as Usual’ mode and you’ll see evidence of this in the porch this weekend with our Gifted shop. Monday night, then, sees our second monthly meeting of the year and then on Wednesday in the hall, after the 10am mass, you’ll find our Bereavement Support Group running their monthly tea and coffee support/drop-in session. Our other workstreams, such as home, carehome and detention centre visits continue as normal as do the B-Attitudes (Young Persons SVP) and the food bank, of course.

The New Year is now ticking along, as all the others have, and so much so that next weekend is the first weekend of February! This means that the SVP’s shop, Gifted, will be open before and after each weekend mass. Being open just once a month, and with an early Easter (Easter Sunday is March 31), you’ll find that we have stocked up on some Easter items and also on some St Patrick’s Day items too. Add to that, our usual selection of prayer cards, Rosary beads, candles, etc., etc., we hope you find what you are looking for.

It is always encouraging to know that this news item is read each week. And it is even more heartening when someone responds!

Last week, we received two lovely enquiries from people who would like to know a bit more about the SVP and are seeking to join the team. The more hands we have, the lighter the load for everyone and the more help we can be to those in need. If you would also like to become a member then why not get in touch? ‘Tis never too late to start that New Year’s Resolution!!