Westport Eco-congregation Receives ECI Gold Award

Members of the Westport Eco-Congregation present the ECI Gold Award to Holy Trinity at the recent Harvest Festival. (L to R: Mary Berkery, Kathleen Murphy, Rev Canon Jenefer Whirter, Maighréad Costello, Kathleen Friel, Brid McAuley, Caroline Goucher and Kevin Barrett.)

Caroline Goucher from Westport Eco-Congregation shared this press release with us:

The journey of our award started seven years ago, with numerous projects and many people’s assistance, passion and efforts along the way. It is a celebration for the parishes to reach a milestone such as this.

Having submitted the papers for the Eco-congregation Ireland Gold Award in November last year, Westport Eco-congregation heard in March that we had been successful in our application and would be one of three Gold Award recipients in Ireland in 2021. We are the first in Connacht. We were overjoyed with this news; it was certainly worth the huge effort that went into the application. While the pandemic stopped us from gathering in-person to have a celebration, an award ceremony was held online in June and the plaque was presented to the Chairperson of the committee, Canon Jen McWhirter, during the Harvest Festival in Holy Trinity, Westport, on Sunday 3rd October, at which service the preacher was the Revd Martin Steele.  A plaque will be presented in St Mary’s Church at a later date.  A debt of gratitude is due to those from the committee who worked so hard on the submission to ECI on our behalf.  Their efforts have been well rewarded!

The Eco-Congregation Ireland Gold Award is for those churches who have already received their initial Eco-Congregation Ireland Award. The awards are designed to affirm the good environmental work of churches and to witness to the wider world that churches care for God’s creation.  In order to receive an ECI Gold Award, churches have to show continuing work in all four areas of their initial ECI Award, and mentor another parish or community on their award journey. The four areas are spiritual, linking environmental issues with the Christian faith; practical, practicing what is preached; community, worked with or through their local community on environmental issues; and global, supporting charities/projects that are working to help people in developing countries.

To mark the presentation of the Gold Award to Westport Eco Congregation, two beautiful apple trees were planted on the green area – left of the slip road between Rice College and Knockranny in Westport.  Appreciation to Caitriona McCarthy (Edible Landscapes) who sourced this heritage variety Apple tree called ‘Kilkenny Pearmain’ and for her helpful advice and support. We are very grateful to Ann Moore who on behalf of Mayo County Council gave permission to have the trees planted in this beautiful green area. The planting took place on Tuesday 5th of October at 2.30 p.m.  The sun shone gloriously as Pat Fahy and members of Westport Eco-Congregation dug the ground and planted the trees. We had great fun! We are delighted that this event coincided with SPAR National Tree Day 2021 which took place on Thursday, 7th October. The theme they chosen for this year is ‘Trees are Good neighbours’ ‘Is comharsana den scoth iad crainn’, Trees are some of our greatest neighbours and are so vital to our environment and our planet.