About Us
The St Veronica Welfare Committee was established in 1956 by Mr Colin and Mrs Eileen Bennett, in West End, Brisbane, Qld.
In response to an appeal by Elizabeth Reid, a lady working in Hong Kong with refugees, Colin and Eileen began to raise funds through film evenings, barbeques and soccer matches. Their first donation was when An associate of Colin Bennett’s put his hand in his pocket and produced 10 pounds, saying, “this will start you off.”
As the work grew a Committee of unpaid lay persons was formed and named the St Veronica Welfare Committee. Mrs Bennett chose St Veronica as a symbol of the compassion and commitment which should animate our work. Veronica is a symbol of the woman who took pity on the suffering of Jesus on his way to his death on Calvary and wiped the sweat and blood from his face. Legend has it that, in acknowledgement of her compassionate action, the face of Jesus was imprinted on the cloth she used.
In 1980 The Committee began operating a thrift shop and office in West End, Brisbane. Thrift shop takings now pay for all of our administrative expenses and provide extra funds for projects.
In 1990 Mrs Bennett received the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her work.
Through sponsorships, thousands of children have been lifted from destitution and enabled to complete their formal education.
Employment generation, vocational training, dairy, chicken and goat rearing projects are only a few of the many things which we have funded from individual donations and thrift shop sales.
What's in a name?
Why are we called St Veronica Welfare Committee?
In 1956, when Mr & Mrs Colin Bennett started what has now grown into a vibrant charity contributing to the sharing of wealth more evenly through the world, Christians were more familiar with the idea of holy men and women who had contributed, in their times, to helping those in need. Other examples of charities which operate today, with similar philosophies and backgrounds and named after saints, are the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Brotherhood of St Lawrence.
Mrs Bennett chose to name the fledgling society after a woman known in the bible as “Veronica”. There are many stories about the origin of “Veronica”. The name “Veronica” evoked the image of a woman who was moved by compassion to help Jesus on his way to Calvary. This story has it that one of the women who were lining the streets to watch Jesus pass by on his way to Golgotha was so moved by his suffering that she stepped forward and offered a cloth, or her veil, to wipe the blood and sweat from his eyes. Jesus accepted the offering and, after using it, handed it back to her with the image of his face miraculously impressed upon it. There is no reference to the story of “Veronica” and her veil in the canonical Gospels...
The Office Staff
The staff at St Veronicas Welfare Committee are a dedicated group who welcome contact from you with any queries you might have.
They also welcome you to come into the office and meet them, if you are in Brisbane.
