Shrewsbury: Papal award for charity director

Mary Dearden - image: Simon Caldwell

Pope Francis has awarded the Benemerenti medal to a former teacher from the Wirral for her exemplary service to the Holy Father's official children's charity.

Mary Dearden, a parishioner of St Anne's Church, Rock Ferry, has spent the last eight years visiting schools throughout the Diocese of Shrewsbury to tell pupils about Mission Together and to help to raise funds for the charity.

She has been so dedicated in her work as Shrewsbury diocesan director of Mission Together that Shrewsbury consistently raises more money than any other of the dioceses of England and Wales, pulling in an average of about £10,000 each year.

The Holy Father has now rewarded Mrs Dearden for her commitment by awarding her the medal and a signed certificate, both of which was presented to her by Fr Bernard Forshaw, her parish priest, during Mass in St Anne's on Shrove Tuesday.

Among the guests were members of her family, including her daughter, who travelled from Cardiff; one of her three sons, who flew in from Geneva, Switzerland, as well as her cousin, Fr David O'Malley, the Salesian priest and author.

They were joined by Fr Anthony Chantry, the national director of the Pontifical Missionary Societies/Missio, the parent charity of Mission Together, and Fr Anthony Grace, parish priest of St Gabriel's Church, Alsager, Cheshire, and diocesan director of the Pontifical Missionary Union.

"It's rather overwhelming," said Mrs Dearden afterwards. "It was unexpected. I still don't know why I got it, but it is nice to know that your work is appreciated.

"At the same time, I am just doing what I enjoy."

Mrs Dearden was invited into her voluntary and unpaid role by Emeritus Bishop Brian Noble eight years ago when she retired from teaching Religion, Music and Art at St Peter's Primary School, Noctorum, the Wirral.

She became the only woman in England and Wales to serve as a diocesan director of Mission Together.

The Bishop, she said, was seeking a person who was accustomed to speaking to children to promote the objectives of the charity, which provides education and healthcare to the world's poorest children.

With the help of Paul, her husband of 45 years, she gives assemblies in about 33 of about 90 primary schools in the Diocese each year, and follows these up with a return visit in the same academic year.

She teaches the children about the work of the charity, encourages them to raise funds for poor children overseas and to pray the charity's acrostic prayer, which, spelling "MISSION", reads: "May all children. In the world. Share love. Share friendship and live. In the peace. Of God's love. Now and forever. Amen."

Mrs Dearden estimates that prayer has been said about 10 million in diocesan schools over the last eight years.

The generosity of the children, she said, was "absolutely amazing", with St Monica's School in Appleton, near Warrington, for instance, presenting her with a cheque for £1,300 after she visited.

"Individual children will do jobs for their mum and dad and bring in the £80 needed to buy a wheelchair," she said, citing an example of six-year-old from Northwich who was determined to come to the aid of a handicapped boy in Nigeria.

"It doesn't seem very much but it is the fact that children are helping other children. It is the only charity which does that," she said.

"I just love it," she added. "The children are so enthusiastic and I am absolutely delighted. They are all eager to help.

"Raising the money is great but it is more the fact that they are saying the prayer and thinking about other children."

Now a 70-year-old grandmother, Mrs Dearden, who originally comes from Kingston upon Hull, has no intentions to retire just yet.

And Mission Together appears so pleased with her work that it is increasingly asking her to help with its work in schools in the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

So Mrs Dearden has a busy schedule ahead, but at some point she hopes to frame and find space on a wall for her certificate from Pope Francis, a "highlight" of an apostolate she feels deeply fortunate to perform.

This article appears in the forthcoming Easter edition of the Shrewsbury Catholic Voice, which will be available in the churches of the Diocese from Palm Sunday.