St Mary's becomes a Fairtrade Church

Feb 25 2008 by Margaret McGowan (web user)

St Mary's R.C. Church in Hamilton has become a Fairtrade Church.

And parishioners celebrated the new-found status at their monthly coffee morning on Sunday, February 24, with Fairtrade home baking, tastings of Fairtrade fruit, a Fairtrade quiz, word searches and colouring-in sheets for the children and a special Fairtrade celebration cake.

St Mary's, in Cadzow Street, has been selling Fairtrade Goods at its monthly coffee morning in the church Hall after the Sunday morning masses for several years.

In fact, their Traidcraft Group is one of the top 100 Fair Traders in Britain thanks to the parishioners continuing support.

Parish Priest Father Harry O'Brien is delighted. He said: "Choosing Fairtrade products when we shop encourages us to reflect on our own lifestyles and the impact of our consumption on others.

"As we learn to look for Fairtrade alternatives we also become more conscious of the links which bind us to our poorer brothers and sisters around the world.

"When we choose Fairtrade we realise the power that we have to influence the future of the world in even the smallest things - our choice of tea-bags, for instance."

To become a Fairtrade Church, the church council must agree to the following:

- Use Fairtrade tea and coffee after services and in all meetings for which you have responsibility 

- Move forward on using other Fairtrade products such as sugar, biscuits and fruit 

- Promote Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight and during the year through events, worship and other activities whenever possible

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