Fiona’s Visit to Rome

Fiona visited Rome in September and had the privilege of meeting Irish Ambassador to the Holy See, Frances Collins, for the first time. The Irish Embassy is one of 91 embassies based in Rome. Ambassador Collins shared about their work with the religious diaspora and around foreign policy and Fiona shared about the work of Edmund Rice Development. The rich and vital legacy of the work of Irish missionaries over the years was discussed, and the vibrant ongoing work. Ambassador Collins and Fiona considered opportunities to collaborate in the future and we look forward to future meetings.

Fiona was invited by the Congregation Leadership Team (CLT) to participate in ‘Building a Network for Mission Development and Sustainability.’ This important workshop looked at how missionary organisations can collaborate together to ensure their vital work can continue in the context that the membership most congregations is reducing. Three key recommendations emerged:

• working with lay partners to ensure project continuity;
• investments in fundraising capacity for long-term sustainability; and
• fostering inter-congregational collaboration to share resources, knowledge, and advocate for stronger collective impact.

The event was very timely and highly relevant for ERD – it was a great opportunity to learn and to build new partnerships to enhance our work.