Bertie Stirling sent us a report of this event:
Members of the Creation Care Network (NI) and Partners in Action (A Rocha UK) arrived on Saturday 1st April at the beautiful house and grounds of Drumalis Retreat Centre. After a quick coffee and greetings of gladness to meet up again, we gathered in the Kintyre room in the main house; a very significant room in the history of Drumalis. The morning began with a few moments of quiet time and a prayer. The Rev. Andrew Orr’s tribute to Sister Catherine Brennan was noted. We will all miss the enthusiasm and perseverance of such an eco-warrior. The group were welcomed to the centre and the rhythm of the day outlined, before updates, reports and discussions commenced.
Although most groups had already some involvement with local congregations and communities some felt the need for educating ourselves practically and theologically in Creation Care. Others had felt introverted in this area and were now more confident to meet the needs of local community. Various means were reported and discussed. Some took a particular issue or theme to engage local people. Eg. textiles or food. Some groups were hosting projects, like Repair Café and some teaming up with other projects. Eg. to harvest surplus apples and make apple juice or apple jelly. We had reports from three ongoing ventures and one new one, all of which benefit the land and give people a opportunity to get closer to nature, by employment or by volunteering. Quite a few congregations had run eco-fairs and eco-services, again allowing people to become involved and give thanks for the creation we are part of.
We learned what resources were being developed in NI, eg. Spatial NI and Earth Hub; and what grants could be available locally. A Rocha UK now support forty+ Partners in Action, six of which are in Northern Ireland. (About 50 projects are in negotiation) A Rocha UK also run an online service called ‘Wild Christian’, to support families in their Creation Care journey. Eco-Congregation Ireland operate an award scheme and resources to encourage congregations in their Creation Care journey; eg. The Climate Justice Candle project.
We invite other Creation Care projects and congregations with an Eco-congregation Ireland Award, especially of the Roman Catholic persuasion, to come and share with us at our meeting on September 9th at South Belfast Quaker meeting.
Many more ideas, issues and themes were discussed and contacts and friendships made. Possibly one of the highlights of the day was ‘The Threading of the Rope Ceremony’ , a ritual that takes place in a number of A Rocha projects, in one case to keep elephants out.
A big thank you to Chris and Stephen of the ‘Larne Men’s Shed ‘ for processing the posts to hold the rope.
The day ended with a cup of tea and a mini-tour of the main house.