JOIN THE VOLUNTEERS
Canon Denis O'Mahony
Congratulations once again on arranging the Christmas Blitz. It takes a lot of people a lot of time to successfully organise an event of such magnitude. Not just for this year, but for all the years back along since blitz number one. When you look at the people who have given a lot of years to it through thick and thin, there must be a great love of the game, and of the value it has for many generations of people over the past thirty years. Personal satisfaction from the success of the annual event must come into it. Fulfilment of a dream is not a glory trip - there is too much hard work and worry in it for that. Then there is the sense of the camaraderie, the enduring friendships, the maturing, the bonding, the sense of give and take needed for a job to be well done for the good of the town, the communities all around that have joined in over the years. It is hard to describe it, and only people involved in voluntary organisations of all sorts can understand the "why" of keeping at it for no visible personal gain.
I hope I am giving a fair picture, because I want to get across is the appreciation all of us should have for the people who are always doing things for others. Personally, I am indebted to hundreds of people who help to run the business of the parish. They are in the hundreds and are volunteers - some are sort of "pressurised" volunteers - who make a lot of sacrifices to help the parish members of all ages and all needs. People so involved must have a strong sense of the value of what they do - for others, including God.
Weekend after weekend, people stand in sunshine and rain with a biscuit tin asking for support for various good causes and charities. There is nothing in it for themselves, but in spite of indifference and criticism at times, they keep at it, because others would be in need without their courage and humanitarianism. All sport and leisure organisations need the volunteers to put in time and energy. Many people would be in a bad way were it not for the kindness of people who appeal for help for many charities.
Some organisations like Credit Unions, Community Centres, Councelling Services, School Management Boards, Parish Councils, etc. need people with training and skills to accept responsibilities that can be very taxing. Accepting responsibility means being accountable for advice given, for the conditions and atmosphere in which other function. But still people come forward willingly or are conned to come forward, or are nominated, or are elected to be part of these operations. So much is owed to their dedication and sacrifices. Committees would have no spirit without them, would lack development or self worth without their enthusiasm.
What brought all this on me was a report in a daily paper recently. Bishop Brendan Commiskey feared that the drop off in the number of worshippers could signal a drop in the number of people who would be involved in the life of the community. That not only in the organisations of sport and leisure, but in more vital cases like politics and trade unions. He quotes Harvard professor Robert Puknam who believes that churches have a "crucial reservoir of social capital". Being involved in church gives impetus to involvement in the needs of the community. He would like to see what correlation is there between the diminishing faith practice and the drop in number of people who vote, who volunteer for community service, who are involved in school meetings, neighbourhood watch, credit unions, etc.
Every community needs voluntary service. We should be thinking more about the future, nurturing a sense of locality and its needs - and each one of us prepared to do our bit.
Canon Denis O'Mahony