Message for Day of Prayer for the care of Creation
Season of Creation 2024: ‘To hope and act with Creation’
- Ellen Teague In ICN Daily News
From 1 September (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) to 4 October (Feast of St Francis of Assisi), Christians around the world will celebrate the Season of Creation. The theme this year is: ‘To hope and act with Creation.’
Catholics are encouraged to organise prayer and practical initiatives to combat the environmental crisis facing our common home. This “time for creation” offers, in the words of Pope Francis, “individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation.”
The Season of Creation website has a wide variety of resources for individuals, groups and parishes which can be accessed for free. The materials available include a Celebration Guide that contains numerous ideas for activities such as prayer services, ecumenical pilgrimages and walks, or organising educational and sustainability activities. Other materials include liturgical resources for various denominations, including prayers and hymns.
This 2024 season, Christian voices are urged to support a joint advocacy initiative on 21 September promoting the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty which calls for a halt to new fossil fuel projects.
RESOURCES
A Season of Creation Celebration Guide can be downloaded from www.seasonofcreation.org
A live prayer service will be available on the website on 1 September.
‘Peace, Love and Climate Justice’
Green Christian
A new pack for churches from Green Christian. It is offered to help explore Christian responses to the global climate and environmental crisis. Focusing on the Great Commandments in Mark 12:30-31, it asks questions that connect peace, love and justice.
The resource and a training session video can be downloaded from the Green Christian website:
https://greenchristian.org.uk/special-zoom-workshop-peace-love-and-climate-justice/
Cloud and Fire – rediscovering ministry for an age of climate breakdown
Green Christian
Next course begins in January 2025
DVD – Stations of the Forests
Columban JPIC
An audio-visual lamenting the devastation of rainforests and tribal people. A Resource Booklet provides agendas and reflections for meetings. £7 inclusive of p&p from vocforjus@aol.com or download from: www.columbans.co.uk/resources/dvd-video/stations-of-therainforests/
‘On Care for our Common Home’ – 6th Form Syllabus from the Ecological Conversion Group. This can also be used as a study guide for Laudato Si’ for parishes. https://theecg.org/resources/6-form-syllabus/
‘Conflict and Climate Change’ 18-minute DVD:
www.kevinmayhew.com/products/conflict-and-climate-change-1501412
MORE RESOURCES
Westminster Justice and Peace: https://westminsterjusticeandpeace.org/environment-resources/
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales: www.cbcew.org.uk/environment/
EVENTS
Justice and Peace Scotland will host its inaugural Season of Creation Conference in September. The Conference will allow parishioners from across the country to come together and explore how we may hope and act for creation in our own dioceses and parishes. Workshops on the day will be held by Justice & Peace Scotland and SCIAF and there will be opportunities for networking and ideas-sharing among attendees. A key-note address will be delivered by Ben Wilson, Director of Public Engagement at SCIAF and a member of the Holy See delegation at COP 28.
9 September 7.30pm, Woking: Film screening of ‘X Trillion’ – About Plastic Pollution – organised by the Live Simply at St Dunstan’s Church, Shaftesbury Road, Woking, GU22 7DT. The film tells the story of an international crew of scientists, sailors, designers, engineers, and teachers who set sail on a transformative month-long voyage, 3,000 miles across the North Pacific Ocean, through the densest accumulation of ocean plastic on the planet. The producer will talk about the film and answer questions afterwards. Book free tickets at: www.tickettailor.com/events/livesimplywoking/1310232
More events at: https://greenchristian.org.uk/whats-on/
Booklet is available here to download
On Tuesday students from St Catherine’s College joined both Archbishops of Armagh for a celebratory walk to mark the Season for Creation.
The Season of Creation has a special significance for the Catholic Church, particularly since Pope Francis established 1 September as an annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The Season of Creation is marked throughout the Christian world from 1 September to 4 October (Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi) and celebrates the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment.
This year’s theme is “To Hope and Act with Creation”. We hope that the following resources will help you and your parish community to celebrate the Season of Creation 2024. These resources are compiled by the Laudato Si’ Working Group of the Irish Bishop’s Conference & Trócaire. You can find further resources on the international Season of Creation website: www.seasonofcreation.org
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