Over € 8,000 has been raised in the Athlone area through a golf classic and raffle at Mount Temple Golf Club to help local priest Fr PJ Hughes in his missionary work in Equador. Over 30 teams played and the raffle was supported by people throughout the Midlands.
Fr PJ is currently serving in Guayaquia, Ecuador with the Missionary Society of St James The Apostle. Fr PJ, a nephew of TR Dallas and Tony Allen of Foster and Allen fame, moved to Ecuador to work with this Boston mission some three and a half years ago.
Poverty is a massive problem in the area; people’s diet consists mainly of rice and bananas and they live from day to day, rarely knowing where the next day’s meal is going to come from.
Much of Fr PJ’s work is based around building infrastructure including schools and churches. The €8,000 raised will go a long way towards finishing his parish church.
Speaking at the event, Fr PJ said: “Since I first started on the missions in 2009 it is amazing the great progress that has been made. Of course it is not only building and construction that you support - so many poor families have benefited from your generosity with food, clothes, books for school.”
The event was organised by the Knights of St Columbanus and the local community. Chairman of the committee, Cieran Temple, paid tribute in particular to Michael Dolan and his staff, the Hodson Bay Hotel, Motte and Bailey Restaurant, Wineport Hotel, and Pat the Baker. He also thanked committee members Ignatius Lynam, Breda Fitzpatrick, Sean Quilty, Padraic Dunne, Eamon Cassells, Anita Allen, Tom Allen, and Fr T Baxter.
The committee wishes to thank those who made the golf classic and raffle such a success. Anyone who would like to support Fr PJ in his mission work is askd to contact any member of the committee.
