A new generation following Patrick's example
Andrew Hanna, Claire Murphy and Cliodhan Kerr are the first cross-community students to benefit from the Down Cathedral Travel Awards. The Awards were first established in 2005 following the St Patrick’s Day ‘Global Vision’ celebrations and are intended to support unwaged young people of all Christian traditions travelling abroad on short term service.
Lurgan student, Andrew Hanna, will be using his award to travel to Jandira, Uganda to work with "Fields of Life". While there he will be helping build teaching accommodation as well as working with orphaned children. He will also be taking with him supplies to assist medical and teaching staff.
Claire Murphy, from Belfast, is a former Methodist College pupil and is using her gap year to work with Project Trust in the Dominican Republic. She wants to broaden her horizons by working in an environment very diverse from her own and at the same time be of benefit to her host community.
Meanwhile, Cliodhan Kerr will be part of a team of seven pupils and seven teachers from Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch who will be working with Habitat for Humanity NI in Mexico. Cliodhan and her fellow pupils and teachers will be learning to build houses in Mexico for local people who until now have been living in huts without any basic facilities.
In handing over the cheques, the Bishop of Down & Dromore, the Right Rev Harold Miller said: "It is a joy to present the first three awards to young people, who, in the spirit of St Patrick, are prepared to go into new and different situations to serve God".
Also on hand to congratulate the three award winners was the Dean of Down Cathedral, the Very Rev John Dinnen. He said: "For centuries people have gone from this island in humanitarian causes. A whole new generation is doing that today in greater numbers. It’s right that the Cathedral most closely associated with Patrick, should help that happen.
The history of Down Cathedral and St Patrick is about travelling to help others in the names of Jesus. That history lives on for hundreds of young people today and we are pleased to be part of it with the Cathedral Travel Awards
When young people in Northern Ireland decide to make the world a better place, their Christian vision and commitment knows no limits. Down Cathedral wants to affirm those efforts".