On April 22nd 2024, in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, Balally, Dublin 16, a special service, to mark Earth Day, was held. It was a service of prayer, poetry, reflection and music, which was both a celebration of God’s beautiful gift of Creation and also a lament for the damage we are causing our common home. An inspiring reflection by Rev. Dr. Dermot Lane reminded all present that we are all connected, not only to the whole human family, but to the whole natural world too, and we were challenged to question the legacy we will leave behind to the generations to come.
The service ended with a strong musical message to ‘listen to the Earth’ and the uplifting words of Pope Francis: May our struggles and our concern for the planet never take away the joy of hope.’