VIDES IRELAND

The Magic of Believing

"All of us are walking around with some kind of birthday card we would like to give - some personal expression of joy, creativity or aliveness that we are holding under our shirts." Mr. Keating in Dead Poet's Society)

Mr. Keating's advice to us is: "Seize the day!"

VIDES Ireland gives young people an opportunity to "Seize the day!"

It is an international voluntary lay organisation set up by young people and the Salesian Sisters, in order to meet the needs of people who wish to offer voluntary service either at home or abroad for a limited period. Volunteers are placed in various Salesian communities and are offered the opportunity to share the life, prayer and work of the Sisters.

VIDES differs from other voluntary organisations in that it is the volunteer who chooses the length of time for the experience. VIDES provides training for the volunteers before the experience and is involved in their personal growth during their stay abroad or at home. It also offers the opportunity for these young people to share their experiences when they return home.

So far VIDES Ireland has facilitated:

Tony Kenny, student in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick to go to the Philippines for a six month experience working with Street Children in 1996.

Mary Heffernan, a civil servant, from Co. Clare and Heather Jones, a clerical worker, from Co. Limerick worked voluntarily in a project with the Salesian Sisters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1997.

At present Linda Murphy, a nurse from Co. Dublin Deirdre O'Flynn, a clerical worker in the Post Office, from Co. Roscommon are preparing to continue the projects begun by Mary and Heather. They will leave for Africa at the end of May 1998 D.V.

We wish our volunteers, those preparing and those who have contributed to the Salesian mission every success in their lives and we thank them for keeping the magic of believing alive in us.

For information about VIDES, contact:

Ann Fallon, Salesian Secondary School, Fernbank, Limerick.