RUNNING FOR THE CHILDREN OF AFRICA
Fifty years ago this summer I travelled by steam train from London to St Columba’s College in Scotland.
It was a junior seminary run by The White Fathers.
I left in 1962 and went to the London Oratory School before becoming a teacher/lecturer (Now retired).
Father Shanahan’s StreetInvest Project in Ghana and Zimbabwe concentrates on training specialist ‘Street Workers’ in their quest to save the street children who have become non-children.
The project needs money, however little, to continue its work and I am running in stages all the way from London to St Columba’s to raise much needed funds.
My run will take place in the last week of August and end at the site of the old St Columba's College on the exact date in early September 1959 when I started at the college.
Please note : StreetInvest is an independent charity, and not part of The White Fathers, Missionaries of Africa.
Attached to this is a sponsorship form that you can print off and use. I do hope you can help.
My run is called Running for the Children of Africa. It is about 450 miles.
My emailaddress : Jpscu@hotmail.co.uk. (tel. 01494 778275)
May I suggest that anyone who is interested in helping these unwanted children look at www.Streetinvest.org which will give so much information about the appeal and the work of the missionaries in Africa?
God Bless, John Scully
The inspiration for my run came not only from the Father Pat’s appeal but also from a very special person and his work with the homeless in London. I first met Kurt Erickson, an evangelical minister handing out food and sandwiches to numerous homeless drug and alcoholic people ten years ago. He would hug and greet every one of them on a Saturday morning in the piazza outside Westminster Cathedral and along with a small prayer would give them the support and love they so desperately needed. If you ever pass the Cathedral or go to early morning mass on Saturdays Kurt will be there at 7.00am. His life is working with these people and like Father Pat’s street children the similarity is amazing. The homeless in London get younger each year and are forced to beg and sleep rough also like the Street Children. Kurt knows all about my run to Scotland and we spoke at length how similar the problems were in a great city as they are in Africa. Kurt also has volunteers who turn out in all weathers to administer not only food but help and advice. Recently a film was made of his work. It’s a D.V.D. called Church without Walls—so like the children in Africa I am running for. Its sub title is ‘Love and compassion on the streets of London’.
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