• MOM Contributions
  
  
• SR FELICITY AITAPE, PNG
  
  
• CASH MOVEMENTS FOR THE YEAR
  
  
• OPERATING STATEMENT

• HOLY SPIRIT SEMINARY, BOMANA
  
  
• AUDITOR'S REPORT
  
  
• STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
  
  
• Note for Operating Statement

"EXCITED, ELATED, WORTH COMING AROUND THE WORLD TO SEE!"

On November 30th, 2002, Bishop Paul Marx ordained four seminarians to serve and educate the Kamea people. Two other sons of Catechists in Kanabea will be ordained shortly.

Noah Tameina, a Kamea person living in the Highlands of the Gulf Province PNG, says THANK YOU. This makes the dedication, commitment and hard work of the Melbourne Overseas Missions volunteers worthwhile.

Noah was given a dictionary in grade 5 and progressed to grade 10 in the High School at Bema, built by Fr Pat Harvey. Noah came back to his village and saw how poor they were. With hard work, and MOM's support, his village now has 48 houses, a literacy school, a church, aid post, soccer field and basketball court. They also have a health worker who was educated at Kanabea.

Noah ran in the recent elections and won a seat. He now represents his local people in government.

THESE ARE AREAS THAT WE GET EXCITED ABOUT.

Such are the expressions that people used about being present at CEDUNA for the eclipse. Well, we are excited also, but more about the help that you have given to disadvantaged people and for the opportunities that you have opened to them.

Fr John Flynn and three sisters of St Joseph of Cluny work with the local priests. Schools, health centres and first aid posts are established. Houses for teachers, health workers and mission staff have been built at Bema and Kanabea.

Instructors teach village people about hygiene, nutrition, family planning and also Aids/HIV awareness. A Sydney Researcher forecast that 40% of the PNG population would be affected in the next few years. Education will help to prevent this from becoming a reality.

Rina Sacco, formally of Melbourne, is preparing teachers at the Pastoral Institute in Gambia, West Africa. Rina is also skilled in computer instruction and runs classes in PC training, with only one computer! Gambia is 97% Muslim. After reading about the Bali disaster recently, Rina sent an email saying how well the Muslims and Christians live together in Gambia, respecting one another's culture and beliefs.

Cluny Sister, Ann Stevens, a qualified medical practitioner, is stationed in Freetown, West Africa, and has been able to re-open a clinic in Sierra Leone where some measure of peace is at last developing. Sr Stevens is working on a Small Enterprise Program being run to help those locals injured and dismembered during the war develop their own trade and make them self-sufficient.

Melbourne Overseas Missions supports many countries world wide.
Here are some of the contributions that were made:

$86,000

- Kanabea and Bema

$48,000

- St Paul's Overseas Aid Parcels

$ 5,000

- Botswana

East Timor

- Computers, Sewing and Knitting
  Machines, printers, Medical
  Supplies, Clothing and financial aid.

$10,500

- Student Education, Boroko

$11,300

- Teacher Funding

$ 9,000

- Community Education

$10,000

- Bomana, Holy Spirit Seminary

SR FELICITY AITAPE, PNG

Thank you Melbourne Overseas Missions for assisting with the freight costs for parcels sent through St Paul's Overseas Aid.

Sr Margaret Mary, who is teaching TB patients to make clothes, is delighted to receive the materials. One woman, able to use only a few stumps of fingers due to leprosy, makes a living sewing clothes for herself and her son.

Sr Felicia McCarthy of St Paul's Overseas Aid, in collaboration with MOM, forward 745 crates of clothing, medicines and blankets to 90 Mission stations worldwide including the Pacific Islands, Africa, India, East Timor, the Phillipines and Vietnam.

HOLY SPIRIT SEMINARY, BOMANA

Children who have recieved parcels
from St Paul's Overseas Aid.

MOM contributed $48,000 to meet the freight costs of the parcels sent by St Paul's overseas aid and generously donated by Austalians.

FR. MICHAEL MCENTEE, FORMER PARISH PRIEST OF ST JOAN OF ARC, BRIGHTON

Fr Michael has expressed his thanks for the scholarships provided by MISSIO. He writes that it is necessary to explain to the seminarians the sources of funds that makes it possible for them to study for the priesthood.

A lay missionary from Melbourne, Neil Lams, is assisting to oversee construction of a new recreation hall using funds from a Melbourne family's generous donation. Neil is a qualified accountant whose expertise is warmly welcomed.

Fr Homero Marin CM, a Vincentian priest from Columbia, is one of those assisting us here along with Sr Mary PBVM, formally of Brighton Parish, who has assisted in pastoral and communication skills for the seminary.

I thank you again for your prayerful and generous financial Support.

Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fr Michael McEntee

Fr McEntee and a group of seminarians at
the Holy Spirit Seminary in Bomana, PNG.

Safety of the seminary staff was considerably improved by the presence of two police families living in cottages funded by MOM.

AUDITORS REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF MELBOURNE OVERSEAS MISSIONS FUND INCORPORATED

OPERATING STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2002

SCOPE

We have audited the financial statements, being the Statement by Directors, Profit & Loss Account, Balance Sheet and notes to and forming part of the financial statements of Melbourne Overseas Missions Fund Incorporated for the year ended 30th November 2002. The company’s directors are responsible for the preparation and presentation of the financial statements and the information they contain. We have conducted an independent audit of these financial statements in order to express an opinion on them to the members of Melbourne Overseas Missions Fund Incorporated.

Our audit has been conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards to provide reasonable assurance as to whether the accounts are free of material misstatement. Our procedures included examination, on a test basis, of evidence supporting the amounts and other disclosures in the accounts, and the evaluation of accounting policies and significant accounting estimates. These procedures have been undertaken to form an opinion as to whether, in all material respects, the accounts are presented fairly in accordance with the Australian Statements of Accounting Concepts and Standards so as to present a view of the association which is consistent with our understanding of its financial position and the results of its operation.
The audit opinion expressed in this report has been formed on the above basis.

Audit Opinion

In our opinion, the financial statements of Melbourne Overseas Missions Fund Incorporated are properly drawn up:

a) so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at 30th November 2002 and of the profit of the company for the year ended on that date.
b) in accordance with Statement of Accounting Concepts and applicable Accounting Standards.

CASH MOVEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 NOVEMBER 2002

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 NOVEMBER 2002

Note 1 for Operating Statement

During the financial year 2001-2002, the St. Paul's Overseas Aid Fund (OAF) Committee packed and forwarded to 90 mission stations a total of 745 boxes (746 in 00/01) and each weighing an average of 16kg and valued overall at $643,680 ($510,860 in 00/01).

Melbourne Overseas Missions Fund Inc. assisted St Paul's OAF in meeting the large freight cost on these boxes by contributing $48,000 ($48,000 in 00/01). Any extra freight costs were borne by St Paul's OAF from their own resources. Items contained in the boxes consisted of urgently required medical supplies such as wound dressing, bandages, soap, sheets, blankets and clothing.

Purpose     Through education programs of literacy, gender-equality, human rights, health, hygiene, agriculture, cottage industry and small business cooperatives to encourage self-help and self-reliance.

Remarks      “Grants allocated but not paid in 2001/2002 :- Student Education - $10,000; Kanabea & Bema - $70,000; Bomana - $9,000; Teacher Funding - $11,000”.

In Accordance with ACFOA Code of Conduct requirements, it is stated that no single appeal generated 10% or more of total income for the period under review.

"Copies of the audited full financial report are available on request from the secretary, Melbourne Overseas Missions"