Vic: Melbourne's disadvantaged tuck into ham and pud for Xmas

AAP General News (Australia)
12-25-2008
Vic: Melbourne's disadvantaged tuck into ham and pud for Xmas

By Melissa Iaria

MELBOURNE, Dec 25 AAP - Hundreds of Melbourne's disadvantaged and homeless dined on
a Christmas lunch of roast and pudding, while churches reported mixed attendances.

About 400 people tucked into ham, turkey and pork washed down with pudding and custard
at Collingwood Football Club's Lexus Centre on Christmas Day.

The Salvation Army lunch event had its biggest turnout in its 20-year history, according
to Major Brendan Nottle, who is the Collingwood Football Club chaplain.

About 40 volunteers from across Melbourne rose early to prepare festive food for the
diners, which included the homeless, those who sleep rough or in boarding houses, have
mental health issues or are socially isolated, Maj Nottle said.

"That was the wonderful thing about the day - it meant there was a family-like atmosphere
for people that would've been on their own otherwise," he told AAP.

Maj Nottle said the event reminds people who have little social support that they are
valued members of the community.

"They find it really difficult to deal with those issues on their own and so events
like this are tremendous reminders to people that they're not on their own," he said.

"That there's people, not just the Salvos, but in the broader community that care about
them, which is really helpful for them."

Another 150 disadvantaged people were chauffeured by Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert
Doyle to Docklands restaurant Mecca Bah for a Christmas brunch.

Meanwhile, there were mixed reports on the number of churchgoers for Christmas mass.

The midnight mass at St Patrick's Cathedral drew more people than last year, said vicar
general, Monsignor Les Tomlinson.

He estimated about 3000 people last night crowded into the mother church of Melbourne's
Catholic Archdiocese.

Monsignor Tomlinson said it was hard to speculate why numbers were up.

But he suggested the higher numbers and the positive response to recent World Youth
Day celebrations suggested people were interested in questions on God and spirituality.

"If what happened at the cathedral is consistent across the parishes, perhaps people
are ... reflecting a little more deeply," he said.

Bishop Mark Burton, the dean of St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, said numbers were down
by about 100 at its bigger 10am Christmas Day service.

"Even this outcome was very good," he said. "People were very buoyant."

Bishop Burton said the theme of hope was strong throughout the service and there seemed
a surprising amount of optimism, given recent news of doom and gloom.

As always, he said Christmas Eve services were well attended.

"The readings and carol services last night were packed to the rafters, which is the
normal experience here."

AAP mi/jj

KEYWORD: XMAS MEAL

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