Maureen Fergusion sent ECI this update:
Creation Time
In our parish Creation Time coincided with a major drive to catch up on two years’ worth of sacraments for children, so the focus was a little divided. However, we did return to community prayer and awareness raising as follows:
The Pope’s Prayer for Our Common Home was recited during every Mass in each of the four churches.
Handout: A four page leaflet was distributed in all churches with ideas for moving towards ‘Zero Waste’, suggestions for autumn planting for pollinators and of course a highlight on COP 26 and the Catholic Petition.
Ecumenical effort: The above prayer and handout were shared with our Church of Ireland and Methodist neighbours.
Harvest Festival: Our Harvest Festival, which took place in St. Mark’s, Springfield, this year, was a very enjoyable respite during covid restrictions. The Opening Liturgy based on the creation story was very moving. There was a focus on the Sharing of Gifts, so over the weekend there were displays of the many ways volunteers share their time and skills with the community. The Climate Justice display again urged people to sign the Catholic Petition. A highlight was the Blessing of Animals and among the usual cats and dogs a pair of ferrets made their presence felt. The talented members of the community shared their gifts at the afternoon Concert on the Saturday. The Sharing of Food after the concert was another popular event and the range of ethnic foods meant there was something for everyone. The weekend closed with the Sunday Mass.
Tree Planting: We had hoped to have trees planted in the grounds of each of the churches in time to have them blessed on the first Sunday of Advent. However, in our effort to source trees sturdy enough to be ‘vandal proof’ (and still be affordable) we have had to spread our net as far as Aughrim, and as a result we are behind schedule. Nevertheless, we are confident they will be planted and blessed before Christmas.
An Eco Friendly Christmas: The climate is changing and so must we!
In a drive to “Make Christmas as eco-friendly and litter-free as possible”. Leaflets are being distributed after all Masses with reminders to Reject, Reduce, Refuse, Repurpose, Recycle with a focus on the choices we make when buying and wrapping gifts and purchasing food and ‘extras’ for Christmas.