By Anthony Barich
The Malaysian-Singaporean Catholic Community of Australia raised a net figure of $18,000 on 3 July for their own and Aboriginal youth to attend World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid.
Comparing it to Jesus’ miracle of feeding 5,000 people with a basketful
of loaves and fishes, organiser Fr Roy Pereira said he prayed for a
miracle to feed 600 people for an event planned to only cater for 500.
There were so many people, organisers told The Record they had to source
extra tables and chairs from Morley parish.
Fr Roy got what he prayed for, with Catholics from around the south west
donating food so that everyone had their fill; and, like Jesus’
miracle, there were many more basketfuls left over, which Fr Roy
promptly sold off in take-away containers for $5 each.
Lamb was donated by people from Katanning, pork from Narrogin pig
farmers, fruit and vegetables from the Spud Shed, chicken from Mount
Barker and eggs from Kwinana – from which the women from St Vincent’s
Parish in Parmelia cooked and served it up. Serving everyone took over
an hour; then the desserts came out – several tables full of cakes and
other sweets that again filled everyone who still had room left after
the main meal.
Several groups of musicians donated their time throughout the night,
including one from Emmanuel College called Central Park Sunday. A $1,000
cheque from the night’s proceedings was also presented to students from
the college whose friend had become a paraplegic two months ago from an
accident playing with friends.
Past Newman College students Clarissa Buhagiar, 19, her boyfriend John
Ryan and current student Claudia Giovannini, 17, who organised the
liaison with Fr Roy, thanked all those who attended to help raise the
money for Clarissa’s brother Samuel, who had the accident. Those who
attended the night included practising and non-practising Catholics and
non-Catholics. Word had spread like wildfire.