It has been a busy time at the FFA since our last e-newsletter. Alan traveled to India, accompanied by Board members Debra Rohr and Patricia Nealon.
 | | 2010 Visit to India: Patricia Nealon, Debra Rohr, Sr. Daphne, Alan Ouimet |
Upon his return, he traveled on to Scottsdale, Arizona for a meeting of the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) which represents the 30 SFO regions in the United States. Finally, we held our annual Board meeting last weekend in CT.
Despite all this activity, Alan has begun to write about his travels. What follows is Part One of his report on his recent journey. We will share Part Two in our next e-newsletter.
Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving.
Judy Warner
Chair, FFA Board
PS. If you have missed any of our previous e-newsletter, you can access them by clicking here.
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My Trip to India - Part One
Finally, after 39 years, I have finally made it over to India to celebrate a very special feast, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4th.
I arrived in Alleppey on September 28th. I was pleased to be met at the airport, at 3 am mind you, by Sister Daphne. It was our first meeting since she took office over a year ago. She is a young, vibrant, totally dedicated Canossian Sister loved by the staff. My first week was taken up with visiting families and meeting with our staff capped off by the feast day celebrations.
 | | Opening Procession for the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi |
The festal celebration was spectacular. Sister Daphne and the staff stayed up until 3 am the morning of the feast preparing the cathedral and preparing the food. The cathedral was decked with so many flowers it looked like a Franciscan garden; food had to be prepared (chicken biriyani) for the 600 plus sponsored families expected. The Mass celebrated by Bishop Stephen Athipozhiyil, assisted by five priests, with traditional Keralan chant, was moving and beautiful. Most beautiful was the rapt attention of all the poor.
 | | Bishop Stephen receiving the gifts to the altar |
After Mass all proceeded to the cathedral parish hall for an assembly and lunch. I was given the opportunity to speak to the assembly and relate to them your love and concern for their welfare. I also pointed out some house cleaning items about letter writing, working with self-help groups and the need to learn to fend for themselves if necessary. I noted the hard times that are occurring in the States as well as the growth that is occurring in India admonishing them to make sure their children remain in school and if possible pursue vocational training. There is one real good remembrance of the feast day - "Alan's Dog". Stray dogs are really not as friendly in India as in the States. They bite. One has to be very careful. One showed up every day while I was there that was so friendly. It was a love affair. When I left I requested the staff to take daily care of the "Alan's dog." Soon they will receive a red dog collar with "Alan's Dog" written on it and a medal with a picture of Saint Francis. So when she is hungry and thirsty, she knows where to go.
 | | Adopt a dog. A wonderful way to celebrate the feast of Saint Francis |
Meeting with Sister Daphne
If you meet Sister Daphne, you will truly be impressed. She is the child of a fisherfolk family and knows the daily problems of the majority of the people we serve in Alleppey. Her special interest, beside distributing your family's allotment, is micro credit to women who are part of self-help groups (SHG) and to FFA families. Further, she wants to improve their lot by educating the women in budgeting, healthcare and social awareness issues.
This year we have given out micro credit loans to 25 families - from , $116 to $700. Loans are given for such things as purchasing a fishing craft, selling garments and soap, selling rice, selling firewood, making coir and purchasing a two wheeler to do fish vending.
This is the way it works: A family receiving micro credit must be a sponsored family with active support. The loan, which comes from our community development fund, is given them with a time schedule to pay it back. Should they default a deduction from their FFA account is made. Upon repayment the fund is recycled to assist other families.
Because we have limited funds in the community development fund only a select few can participate. Should you want your family to participate you may elect to send the amount as a loan to assist your family and upon payback it will used for other families in need. You may ask "Wouldn't it be simpler just to give my family the money?" No, when you consider what is happening here. You are educating your family in the establishment of a credit reputation. Sister Daphne, as I said previously, is running hot on the issue of teaching the women how to budget and handle money. If you do want to consider this program for your family please contact Sister Daphne at ffaalleppey@gmail.com and copy me at ffaindia@att.net.
Thanksgiving and the Magic of Christmas
Thanksgiving Day, our entrance to the wonderful Christmas season, is upon us. I received the following Thanksgiving card from a longtime sponsor just this week:
"How does the Lord 'count' all the good things you and the FFA do? What a blessing it has been for us, just one little cog in a great big wheel. Thank you for a gift of a lifetime. It started us (not a first beginning) and kept us on a good, good road. God has blessed you and given you the skills and the magic comes!"
"And the magic comes"... we know who the magicians are, don't we? We have been blessed to have the Canossian Sisters as our partners in India - Sister Daphne, Sister Carmel Paul and all her Sisters in Andhra; then there is our staff who work hard 6 days a week - Lilly, Babu, Beena, Anamma, Darly, Karoline, Sophie and Soona; then, of course, lastly and certainly not the least, there is you. You make this happen. So many miracles have crossed my desk in the last 39 years it almost causes me to stutter when speaking of it. The world is magical when love is present. And, of course, there's Alan's Dog.
In closing I am inserting a beautiful painting of Saint Francis and creation by our Benny James for our Seeds of Love program. Please choose to honor some friends over the holidays by its use. (You will have to specifiy use special painting in your order for now, until we can update our website.)
Thank you for your continued love and generosity. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Holy Christmas,
Alan J. Ouimet, S.F.O.
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Franciscan Family Apostolate
93 Country Way, Madison, CT 06443
203-458-8172 --ffaindia@att.net
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Franciscan Family Apostolate
Alan Ouimet
Founder and President
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