SVP for Youth - living a life of charity and love
Inspirational Members of the SVP Mini-Vinnies: Award Winners
In May 2020 one of our Catholic charities, Million Minutes, launched a new local award - the Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Award. It is a way for all of us, as a Catholic family to celebrate the positive responses we have witnessed in this global pandemic. The award celebrates and recognises inspirational young people across the country who are making the world around us a better place, ultimately contributing to the common good.
Pier Giorgio Frassati was a young Italian man who devoted his life to social action, charity, prayer and the local community in Turin in northern Italy. Giving up his spare time to look after the poor, sick and needy Bl Pier Giorgio was an SVP member living a life of charity in action. His selflessness saw him die in 1925 at the age of 24 from poliomyelitis, an infection which he had caught from those he tended too. The people he supported made several pleas for canonisation, and he was eventually beatified by Pope John Paul II in mid-1990.
Million Minutes were inspired by Pier’s story as throughout his short life; he always put the needs of others before himself. He never sought reward or recognition for his work, and his family only knew about his impact when at his funeral the streets were lined with mourners many of whom had benefited from his kindness.
So, we are proud to say our very own Rebecca and Daniel Booth, St Peter's Parish SVP Mini Vinnies, have been awarded the Blessed Pier Award from Million Minutes, and today as a Catholic community we want to recognise and celebrate them for their efforts.
The reason we nominated these two inspirational young people is because of their ongoing support of those in need throughout the pandemic. Rebecca and Daniel organised an ongoing food and essential toiletries collection for Catshill Food Bank, grew fresh vegetables for the needy on Teresa's allotment, created cards and kind messages for the lonely, and Rebecca wrote a birthday list worthy of Bl Pier Giorgio himself as she surprised her mum asking for items to make sandwiches which she wishes to make for the homeless.
We are very proud of our young parishioners! Well done Rebecca and Daniel from us all!
The Letter from Million Minutes may be viewed or downloaded here click
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St Peter's children and youth are invited to be part of our Society of St Vincent de Paul youth apostolates: Mini Vinnies (ages 7-11), Young Vincentians (ages 11-14), and B-Attitudes (ages 14-18).
Our Mini Vinnie apostolate has been active for over 12 months (at the time of writing, February 2021) and our parish Mini Vinnies have raised money for the homeless of Birmingham, sung Christmas Carols to entertain the elderly and lonely, collected food for the local Catshill Food Bank, and even grown vegetables for those in need.
You can join the parish Mini Vinnie's in Sunday reflections on the gospel readings via our parish YouTube channel, St Peter's Bromsgrove Mini Vinnies : St Peter's Bromsgrove Mini Vinnies - YouTube
If you wish to join any of our youth apostolates please contact our Vincentian Coordinator, Teresa Kehoe. Send an enquiry to teresa.kehoe@hotmail.co.uk during lockdown and by leaving your details with the priest in the sacristy once the parish is back up and running.
