What do climate crisis, care for the earth and biodiversity have to do with parishes?

The answer is “much more than we may think”!

Local parishes and faith communities in three neighbouring dioceses are sending representatives to a conference taking place in Cork this month to tease out this question.

But they won’t be the first catholics talking about connecting faith and nature. 

As long ago as the 13th century, St. Francis of Assisi composed a prayer called the Canticle of the Creatures, which glorifies God through natural elements like the sun, wind, earth and water. 

St. Francis also included in his prayers and writings the phrase “Praise be to you, my Lord”.

In 2015, Pope Francis published his second official papal letter and he entitled it “Laudato Sí” (Praise to you – in Italian).

Now with the support of Trócaire, the dioceses of Cork and Ross, Cloyne and Waterford and Lismore are inviting their parishioners from 180 parishes to take up the challenges arising from our care for the earth and to see how parishes may act on the message of Pope Francis.

There will be 3 speakers in the morning and workshops in the afternoon

Br. Martin Kenneally, Michael Tierney, Bishop Fintan Gavin, Andrew Lim and Br. Simon Fernandez at Mardyke House, Cork.

Three Cork based members of the Presentation Brothers Community leave on a visit to Ghana with a blessing from the bishop.

At the end of Night Prayer with the young people in Mardyke House who are taking part in the Formation in Faith Course, Bishop Fintan blessed three of the Presentation Brothers Community who travel to Africa next week to visit the Presentation Family there.

Br. Simon Fernandez, Andrew Lim and and Michael Tierney will visit the Presentation Brothers' mission in Northern Ghana. They represent the Leadership Education and Formation (L.E.A.F) Project Team, as part of the preparations for the Edmund Ignatius Rice Immersion Conference for Young Brothers in Ireland next year. 

May Michael, Andrew and Simon travel safely. May this be a pilgrimage of grace for them and those whom they meet.