Archbishop Eamon Martin, the Archbishop of Armagh and Catholic Primate of All Ireland, has urged the public to return their Trócaire Lenten donations as soon as possible in order to maximise the return from a UK government funding initiative.

“All public donations in Northern Ireland to Trócaire’s Lenten Appeal this year are being matched pound for pound by the UK government up to a maximum of £2 million. For donations to be matched they must be received by Trócaire or your local parish by 16th May. This is an amazing opportunity to secure substantial extra funding for Trócaire’s life-changing work in the developing world,” said Archbishop Martin.

“Trócaire is the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland and supports around 2.5 million people around the world every year. The Lenten Appeal is Trócaire’s most important annual fundraising appeal which enables this vital work to continue in some of the world’s poorest countries. The extra money received through the ‘UK Aid Match’ initiative will be used specifically for a programme in South Sudan.”

Archbishop Martin said: “In South Sudan, people have suffered through decades of conflict. Millions of people have had to flee their homes. Your support for Trócaire will provide people with seeds, tools and training on sustainable farming practices to allow families to grow a variety of foods to eat. Your support will also help deliver safe water and, through peacebuilding committees, will help to build a more peaceful future.

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“I want to take this opportunity to thank clergy and parishioners right across Northern Ireland for their continued support of Trócaire’s work. The Lenten Appeal is such a success only because of the tireless work across parishes and dioceses every year. This Lent has again been a challenging one in this era of Covid-19 restrictions but I have no doubt the people here at home will once again ensure that our poorest brothers and sisters receive the support they need.

“I would urge people to return their donations before 16th May either directly to Trócaire ­– online at www.trocaire.org or by calling 0800 912 1200 – or to their local parish if there are arrangements in place for you to do so safely and in line with current guidance,” Archbishop Martin concluded.