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for India's fishermen. To read about it, click on Fund purchases boats
Indian fishermen face loss of their livelihoods in wake of tsunami
When Tsunami waves ripped through the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26, 2004, the waters stole lives and the livelihoods of so many people there. Entire villages were wiped from the map. The death toll from the Tsunami pushed up and up, topping a quarter-million people. The survivors faced an uncertain future in rebuilding their lives. That included those who made their living by fishing.
These fishermen need our help in getting back on the water. Their boats were lost. Their nets were lost. All the equipment with which they make their living and feed their families were lost. What can we do to help?
for 21 Dalit families at VadaNemmell on the India coast.
 "Father Walleye" |
Let's face it. God smiled on Father Mariusz Zajac. On Jan. 4, 2005, the Catholic priest from Carrot River, Saskatchewan, Canada, was fishing in an ice house on the frozen waters of Tobin Lake. He was jigging a Five of Diamonds spoon tipped with a minnow. And he was praying "The Magnificat" (Luke 1:46-55) as he jigged.
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The big walleye set the Saskatchewan provincial record for the species and also set the world ice fishing record for walleye according to the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, at Hayward, Wis., USA.
Father Mariusz became a media sensation and soon he was being called "Father Walleye," telling his tale of praying and fishing. But really, it wasn't anything new. He had been doing that since his boyhood days in Poland. It was always a quiet time for the priest to talk to God and to sort through life's problems and seek His solutions.
So what should father do with his new-found fame? He should put it to good use in helping others. Inspired by an article he read on the plight of the Tsunami fishermen, he would dedicate himself to trying to help them. And, he reasoned, once other fishermen heard about the situation in India, they would want to help, too. That's how the Tsunami Fishermen Relief Fund got its start.
 not aid, in aftermath of tsunamis |
A fund to help all fishermen
The goal of the Tsunami Fishermen Relief Fund is simple enough -- to help purchase boats, nets and fishing equipment so that Indian fishermen can rebuild their lives in the wake of the tsunami. This is inter-faith relief for all fishermen, no matter what their religious beliefs might be. It's to help people -- not religions.
Father Mariusz set up an account at the local Carrot River & District Credit Union to collect the donations. He also made contact with Father George Kannanthanam and Father Francis Guntipilly, two priests in Bangalore, India, who work with the fishermen there, to make sure the dollars raised would go directly toward equipment and into the fishermen's hands to fulfill their needs.
If you want to help, here's where to send your donations:
Carrot River & District Credit Union
Box 639
Carrot River, SK S0E 0L0
CANADA
canmartyrs@sasktel.net