Delegation of Catholic Clergy to visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 January 2008, 01:00 GMT]
A high level delegation of catholic clergy including the Papal representative for Sri Lanka, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Mario Zinari, and Rev.Harold Anthony, Bishop of Galle Diocese, are scheduled to visit Jaffna peninsula Wednesday 09 January to officially hand over houses of built for Tsunami victims, sources in Jaffna said.

The delegation is to be accompanied by Rt .Rev.Dr.Thomas Savundranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna, and is expected to visit Chakoa'ddai in Point Pedro where 154 newly constructed housing units built by HUDEC, the social arm of the Catholic Church of Jaffna, will be handed over to the affected families.

HUDEC networks at Parish level across the Jaffna Peninsula and Wanni, working with the disadvantaged people, for the alleviation of poverty, ignorance and social oppression, according to civil society sources.

HUDEC is a partner organisation of SEDEC (Social & Economic Development) Caritas – Sri Lanka, which is the main body of Caritas Organizations in Sri Lanka, and networks with 13 sister organizations of Caritas in each district.

Though a number of other Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) commenced reconstruction of Tsunami affected homes in Vadamaraadchi East and Vadamaraadchi North, many of the NGOs later abandoned the projects while only a handful of organizations including HUDEC continued to complete the construction.

The group of catholic clergy is also set to meet the public at a number of locations to observe the post- tsunami developmental projects.

The delegation will also meet the people at parish levels.