Message from Revd Simon Cash

It will good to welcome many of you back to the Minster and St John’s for our worship tomorrow morning at 10-30am, however if you wish to continue to join us online the service from the Minster will be available on Facebook live as usual.

Following the services there will be an opportunity to meet online through Café+ and the Zoom link is below.

As part of the worship next week at the Minster (St George’s Day) you will see from the notice sheet that we are inviting a retiring collection for the work of St George’s Church and Medical Clinic in Baghdad. Please find below a bit of information about their work kindly provided by Anne Robinson.

St George’s Church Baghdad came into prominence under Rev Andrew White, and the work there continues under Rev Canon Faez Jirjees, under the auspices of the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. As well as a church serving a congregation of over 300, the compound contains a medical clinic, a kindergarten and a cultural centre.

At the clinic, 17 Muslim and Christian doctors work side by side to treat patients regardless of age, gender or affiliation. The clinic includes a dental surgery, a pharmacy and a laboratory, and prescriptions are free, and it relies on financial support from the UK and from the USA. In 2020, there were 15,137 patients treated there, and every month 1,500 patients are treated free of charge.

Canon Faez is a peacemaker with contacts across the sectarian divide including Sunnni, Shia, Yazidi Shabak as well as other Christians. He has been recognised by the Iraqi and British governments and last year was awarded and MBE by the Queen.

This Foundation for the Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East has a number of projects in order to help people there where there is no welfare state provision and many poor families. Emergency relief is provided for the thousands of refugees. The Nineveh Seed programme provides jobs for vulnerable minorities across the Nineveh plain in an area devastated by Isis, working to develop new businesses and livelihoods. The Olive Tree Centres are places of restoration for traumatised refugees. which are run by Iraqi refugees and local volunteers where children may receive trauma therapies or take part in creative activities and learn English. The advocacy programme meets with government officials in the Middle East to support the needs of minorities including Yazidis.

As said above, if anyone wishes to google these sites they can find out more in detail about this work, which has been suffering from lack of funds during the pandemic. As we are privileged to live in a prosperous country where we mostly have comfortable homes and do not lack for food I feel it is so important to be aware of the plight of many in the world who struggle to exist, and to support the work which cares for the needy and aims to provide them with the means to support themselves for a better future. I hope that our congregations with give this their support.

With God’s blessing to you all

Yours in Christ

Simon

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Revd Simon A Cash, Team Rector, Dewsbury Team Parish

Area Dean, Dewsbury & Birstall Deanery

Tel: 01924 465491

Mob: 07769262754