Brian Grogan SJ sent ECI the latest news from Loving Sister Earth:
Loving Sister Earth (LSE) participated in the Citizens’ Lobby Day on Climate Change, 5th December in Buswells Hotel. Dublin. TDs met with voters from their local constituencies to dialogue on the issue. This was in response to Pope Francis’ statement in Laudato Sí 181: ‘In the absence of pressure from the public and from civic institutions, political authorities will always be reluctant to intervene, all the more when urgent needs must be met.’ Such lobbies could be held right around the country to influence public policy.
We will support UN WATER DAY, 22 March (estd 1970), and UN EARTH DAY, 22 April (estd 1993). We will also take notice of the events marked in the 2019 Calendar of the GCCM (Global Catholic Climate Movement).
National Holy Wells Day (NHWD) will be celebrated on Sunday 16 June. All local initiatives will be appreciated. In Dublin we will celebrate the day at St Broc’s Well in the Carpark of St Damien’s Poor Clare Convent, Simmonscourt Road. It came into being during the World Meeting of Families last August so it is the youngest member of the Wells Family! The goal of NHWD is to thank God for the precious gift of Water, and to raise awareness of how endangered it is by pollution and privatisation: all this to lead to action to safeguard it.
Knock Shrine will host a day on Climate Issues on May 18. With the help of our local LSE Contacts, the people of the West—including young people–will dialogue with the ‘movers and shakers’ of the Province on ways to protect our Planet.
Edmond Grace SJ is working with the National Dialogue on Climate Change. The goal is to engage people locally and nationally with the challenge of climate change, to motivate changes in behaviour and to create structures for the generation and implementation of ideas. In his own words it is ‘a slow-burning process’ –but it is there!