SMYRNA--Over 6,000 pounds of life's basic necessities were collected by the parish community of St. Thomas the Apostle in the fifth annual Lenten drive for a sister mission in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica.

Five years ago a group of parishioners led by then pastor Father Don Baribeau, MS, visited with Father Richard Holung and the 32 brothers of the Missionaries of the Poor, an order Father Holung founded in Kingston. The order operates four apostolates providing shelter and care for neglected children, young men, the sick, the blind, the old and others forgotten by society.

During their stay the Smyrna parishioners participated in the everyday life of the mission. They washed floors and clothes, changed bandages and helped shave and shower the crippled. The visitors also witnessed lines of hungry people, as many as 1,000, waiting in line for flour, beans and corn.

Out of this visit came the special Lenten drive coordinated by parishioner Brian Durham. Each week in Lent parishioners were asked to bring in specific foods and other needed items. In addition, families in the parish were also asked to pledge $20 per quarter directly to the mission. A special gift this year was a single private donation intended for the purchase of 150 chickens which should provide eggs to feed the needy.

During Lent parishioners collected 390 pounds of instant potatoes, over 1,000 pounds of dried beans, over 1,100 pounds of canned vegetables, almost 1,200 pounds of flour, 556 pounds of breakfast oats, 521 pounds of peanut butter, 421 pounds of canned meats, 415 pounds of powdered milk and 35 pounds of jelly.

"The drive is an undertaking in which the hand of God is seen in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle," said Father Jim Caffery, MS, pastor.

In addition, children in the parish school of religion collected 660 pounds of essentials including soap, shampoo, other personal toilet articles, gauze and antiseptic cream.

"This is one way in which the young people of St. Thomas can minister to the least of our brothers and sisters," said Sally Wight, director of religious education, who has previously visited the Missionaries of the Poor in Kingston. "This is a very good lesson in Catholic Christian principles."

Once the goods were collected, a team of volunteers under the leadership of parishioner Don Sabbaresse packed the goods into boxes and wrapped items in shrink wrap in preparation for shipment to Kingston.

In the last week of October and the first week of November a group of parish volunteers from St. Thomas the Apostle will again visit with Father Holung and the missionaries in Kingston.

"You are such a blessing to our poor," Father Holung wrote in a recent letter to the parish. "It gives us great joy and comfort to know that friends like you are at our side to support us in our free services to the poor and homeless."