Brian Grogan SJ sent ECI this update on the work of Loving Sister Earth:
The Shrine at Knock hosted a successful seminar on Laudato Si, titled ‘There is No Planet B’ on 18 May. About 100 attended: Lorna Gold from Trocaire and Fr Dermot Lane spoke on the encyclical. A panel discussion was followed in the afternoon by contributions from local experts on practical ways to promote the message of the encyclical. An atmosphere of prayer and worship prevailed. Fr Richard Gibbons, Rector of the Shrine, publicly committed Knock to further ‘greening’.
Members of Loving Sister Earth participated on May 26 at the ECI Award ceremony in Tuam Cathedral.
National Holy Wells Day will be celebrated in various locations across the country on Sunday June 16. A long-overgrown Holy Well in Tuam, dating from the 12th century, has been renovated over the past year: possibly others have been restored. On June 16 there will be a gathering at St Broc’s Well, in the car park of the Poor Clare Sisters, Simmonscourt Road, Dublin 4 at 15.00. All are welcome.
Ireland’s most famous sculptor, Imogen Stuart, designed it and will attend with her stone-cutter. It is named after a woman called Broc who in the 8th century came from Co Meath and founded a monastery in what is now Donnybrook (Domhnach Broc = The Church of Broc). The new well is affectionately referred to as ‘Holy Well 3001’ because there are about 3000 Holy Wells in Ireland! St Broc’s Well was built for the World Meeting of Families last August, and has already become a focus of devotion. A series of Reflections by Brian Grogan SJ, author of the booklet Finding God in a Leaf, will be found on the Loving Sister Earth website over the nine days preceding NHWD.
Loving Sister Earth has also shared a beautiful Creation Novena for National Holy Wells Day. The full novena is available here.
