Brian Grogan SJ has sent ECI the following update from Loving Sister Earth:
Autumn is a time when nature quietens down, giving space for new ideas and images to bud forth. Here are a few that have come our way in which we are trying to discern the movement of the Spirit and how we in Loving Sister Earth can best collaborate with what is going on!
The first is around the growing interest in Spiritual Tourism—see the brochure for Ireland’s first conference on the topic, to be held in Waterford on March 9, 2018. How can we in Loving Sister Earth engage with this phenomenon to foster love and care for nature? The notion of a Western Spiritual Camino has been raised, which would link up the Aran Islands, Ballintubber, Croagh Patrick, Knock, Kylemore…. A brochure would indicate the unique attractiveness of each location, so that the ‘spiritual tourist’ who enjoyed one place would be encouraged to travel to another. Obviously other ‘spiritual caminos’ could be developed right across the country.
A related idea is for Loving Sister Earth to link in with the ‘Ring of Ireland Challenge’. The focus of this initiative is to tackle child obesity: twenty-two locations have been designated around the coast, and families will walk from one location to another, and eventually complete the Ring of Ireland. Our hope in LSE is to link in with this project and advertise the local Holy Places en route. In return we would promote the Ring of Ireland Challenge.