Lancashire priest's super seeds inspire community

A Lancashire priest is thrilled to be going into Advent with seven tiny Christmas trees he has grown himself, after receiving the seedlings as a charity gift. Two years ago, Fr Philip Kehoe was given a packet of seeds at Christmas which have now taken root in the community garden, inspiring the whole congregation.

During the winter of 2017, Maurice and Jean Turner, two parishioners at St Teresa of the Child Jesus in Upholland, presented their parish priest Fr Philip Kehoe with a charity gift which gave a goat to a family overseas.

Included in the gift from charity CAFOD's World Gift scheme was a pack of seeds and as a keen gardener, Fr Phil carefully planted them.

Now, the little trees - named after Maurice, Jean, their daughter, son and grandson - are due to be re-potted for a second time, before being planted in the Church garden.

Fr Philip said: "The seeds were not easy to grow, they needed freezing then cooling and then put in cotton wool in the fridge to germinate, but they came up.

"I am delighted with them and hope they will reach maturity and be a sign to look after our lovely planet and each other in God's great gift of life."

CAFOD is celebrating over a decade of World Gifts, which were established as alternative charity gifts that would help transform lives and communities.

These virtual gifts are great presents for friends, family, and teachers - but most importantly, make a very real difference to families living in poverty around the world.

Since its inception, the scheme has raised over £13 million, helping over 100,000 children to receive school starter kits - opening doors to education and work - and has brought hundreds of thousands of animals to families, helping to create countless small businesses.

CAFOD's representative in Upholland, Siobhan Farnell, said: "It only takes one seed to start a forest, and Fr Philip Kehoe has shown that with a little bit of work and care, you can inspire a whole community to make a real difference, not only locally but around the world."

Find out more at www.cafod.org.uk/worldgifts