Noreen lights the candle in Our Lady of Lourdes, Steelstown
The ECI Climate Justice Candle visited Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Steelstown, Derry on the 4th Sunday of the Season of Creation. It was lit at the beginning of each Mass with a short introduction by the Celebrant. When the Parish Eco Group arranged this date, we had not realised that the readings and bidding prayers for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time would be so appropriate for the theme of justice. All parishes had also been asked to include prayers for migrants, exiles and refugees that weekend. We felt that the Holy Spirit was at work!
Our Parish Bulletin carried the following message: “This weekend we host a candle from Eco Congregation Ireland to shine a light on climate justice. Every action we take to live sustainably is an act of solidary with those who suffer most from the devastating effects of global warming and climate change despite having caused it the least.”
A large display was mounted at the back of the Church and hundreds of leaflets distributed “to shine a light” on the work of the Steelstown & Culmore Parish Eco Group. Preparing these helped us to reflect on what we have done since setting up 5 years ago and renewed our commitment to “care for our Common Home.”
We are very conscious of the good environmental work carried out in our schools and felt that there was an opportunity to celebrate this as an essential aspect of living our faith. We offered to bring the Climate Justice Candle to local schools. It was included in the New School Year Mass for St. Patrick’s P.S in St. Patrick’s Church, Pennyburn on Friday 26th September and at a special School Assembly on 9th October.
Fr. Micheál McGavigan PP and pupils of St. Patrick’s P.S Derry included the Climate Justice Candle in their Mass to celebrate the start of the new school year
Another very fruitful outcome of the Climate Justice Candle’s visit to Derry was the contact with our neighbouring Church of Ireland Parish of Christ Church, Culmore, Muff and Saint Peter’s who hosted it the following weekends. Members of our Eco Group delivered the Candle to St. Peter’s Church on Sunday 5th October and participated in the beautiful and powerful Harvest Service. We also joined the congregation of Holy Trinity Church, Muff, when they hosted the candle on Sunday 12th October.
Members of Steelstown & Culmore Parish Eco Group pass on the Candle to St.Peter’s Cof I
Fr. Peter O’Kane, Steelstown
Accounts of these hostings will be forwarded to parish and diocesan magazine/ newspapers and hopefully help spread the word.
Patricia and Margaret with Mon. Donnelly, Steelstown
Permission has been given to use all of the above photos