This Sunday, October 2nd, the Chaplaincy of Ss Peter and Paul in Torrevieja, is organising a food collection for Reach Out as part of its Harvest Festival. There is a Mass at Calle Granados, La Siesta at 1130 at which people are invited to bring tinned and packet, non-perishable, food items.
Father Richard Seabrook, the local English-speaking priest, said: Harvest Festival is a lovely celebration in the life of the Church when we give thanks to God for all the good gifts around us, sent from heaven above, as the favourite harvest hymn proclaims. It is a much-loved service of thanksgiving to God.
However, Father Seabrook continued, we are acutely aware of the great need in our area of people who struggle to buy food to feed themselves and their families. That´s why we have a food collection – to look beyond ourselves and response to the needs around us.
Reach Out (Extiende la Mano) in Torrevieja helps the homeless and needy and the Church has had a long link with the organization through Liz Shouksmith, one of the Church Council members and Vice-President of Reach Out. As always, said Liz, we are truly grateful for the help we receive from so many community organisations and its great to know the Church of England is supporting us again this Harvest Festival.
Gifts of food can be brought to La Siesta Church, Calle Granados, Urb La Siesta on Sunday morning before the 1130 celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We arrange the gifts around the altar and they receive God´s blessing before taken to Reach Out. We are thankful to God for the food we receive and the generosity for those who give, said Father Seabrook.
We sing the Harvest hymns so greatly loved by many generations, continued Father Seabrook, but it is not nostalgic. As the Church we try to respond to those in need after the pattern, model, and example of Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ. As at every Mass, bread and wine – the fruits of God´s creation – are brought to the altar to become Christ´s Body and Blood. Harvest reminds to respond like Jesus to those in need as we receive him in the Blessed Sacrament.
The Church extends a warm welcome to all who would like to share in this year´s Harvest Festival.
Father Richard A. Seabrook SSC
frras@c-of-e-torrevieja.com
+34 693 932 438
