Margo Delaney sent us this inspiring report of the ceremony:
On Sunday, December 4th, 2022, our parish was awarded an Eco-Congregation Ireland Gold Award. This award is conferred on any parish that strives actively to care for our common home. It requires evidence of consistent initiatives taken over a period of time. Over the past four years, the Care for the Earth ministry group have submitted four reports of their initiatives to ECI’s independent assessor and received the Endeavour Certificate in 2019, the Awareness Certificate in 2020 and an Eco-Congregation Ireland Award in 2021. Now we rejoice in our identity as an Eco-Congregation Ireland Gold Award Parish!
It was a joy to welcome Archbishop Farrell and Fran Brady, Quaker representative on the ECI committee, to our liturgy on this joyous occasion. Before the liturgy began, symbols representing aspects of our work, were placed in the sacred space. Three children from our local area, who had won prizes at the recent Season of Creation art competition, led the procession.
Three members of the Care for the Earth ministry group carried forward Bonnybrook Eco Aware Candle, the two key inspirational documents, Laudato Si’ and Archbishop Farrell’s The Cry of the Earth – the Cry of the Poor and the report submitted to Eco-Congregation Ireland, seeking recognition as an Eco-Congregation Ireland Gold Award parish.
Parishioners were invited to take a bookmark in memory of the event and as a reminder to act responsibly towards all creation. The recognition of St Joseph the Artisan Parish as an Eco-Congregation Ireland Gold Award parish is not the end of the journey: as a popular song says, “We’ve only just begun”!