Jer O’ Sullivan sent ECI this update:
At this time we in St Anne’s Shandon have completed the Environmental Check Up for Your Church document and are now moving forward towards an application for an Eco-Congregation Ireland award.
The Select Vestry approved our working towards being an Eco-Congregation parish and we held our first meeting in December. We plan to join with our friends in the North Cathedral who have established a similar group to see how we might work together in the local area and share ideas and resources. A meeting of both working groups is planned for 24th January during the week of prayer for Christian unity, reinforcing the message that this is an area where Christians can come together as they move in concern and compassion for our world and its people.
Members of the Eco-Congregation attended a talk entitled ‘Waking up to Climate Change’ by Lorna Gold on the 16 November at the Visitor Centre, North Cathedral, Cork.
We have published our first parish ‘eco’ newsletter in January. The ‘eco-Pilgrim’ is the result of that first meeting and includes some information about the plans and aspirations of the group and shares ideas that we as individual consumers and households can put into practice as we seek to respond in our own way to climate change.
On Sunday 20th January we will focus on ‘Care for Creation’ as we come together in worship as a parish family.