Carmel O’Neill sent ECI this latest news from Blessington:
During the month of December it was decided to put some Green Tips in the Parish Newsletter that were relevant for the Christmas season. These included suggestions on how to reuse old Christmas cards, recycling wrapping paper and minimising food waste by using leftovers creatively.
Prayers were said at the Christmas masses for an end to the pandemic and that Third World countries would be allocated an equal share of the Covid vaccine.
In January we focussed on the theme of energy as fuel and home heating costs continue to rise. We printed 3 Acts of Love from Bonnybrook parish and placed them on the eco notice board in the Church of Our Lady Blessington. While these reminders are very simple measures that we can all do, nevertheless they will reduce the carbon footprint of every household when followed through consistently.
In late January Carmel O Neill adapted the story of Creation for a group of children preparing for their First Holy Communion. She used the excellent resources of Brid Mulhall to explain how the “Big Bang theory” marked the beginning of the Universe 14 billion years ago. The children showed a keen interest in this presentation. Following on from this, we read some psalms on the theme of creation. They particularly liked Psalm 104.
We then asked the children to compose a line of their own in praise of God’s Creation. Each child added their own sentence to a poster which is now on display in the porch of Blessington Church.