Margo Delaney sent us this latest news:
SPIRITUAL
1. We began the first weekend of Lent with a talk at our three liturgies, showing how the traditional Christian practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving could be oriented towards caring for the gift of God’s creation:
- One of the fruits of prayer is compassion. Compassion softens our hearts to notice things we overlook or take for granted. This Lent, take time to notice the burgeoning signs of spring.
- Almsgiving is justice in action. This Lent let us seek to live more simply, more sustainably so that “others may simply live”.
- Fasting is not simply about giving up. It is about the daily choices we make in living our lives.
2. The Good Friday Walk of three partnership parishes: Bonnybrook parish choose the theme of creation. Below is the display created to welcome the visitors from Darndale and Priorswood parishes. To the left, we placed posters showing the beauty of God’s creation. To the right, the posters show the call from Laudato Si’ to “all people” to be aware of the damage humans do to creation.
3. Seeds of Hope – signs of the Resurrection: On Easter Sunday, we distributed small packets of flower seeds. We invited families to take a packet, to sow the seeds and watch them grow as signs hope and peace.
Envelope of seeds collected by a member of Bonnybrook Parish Care for the Earth Group.
PRACTICAL
4. Our parish community responded generously to the request to contribute wax candles for use in Ukraine. In all, there were about 200 candles, big and small, that can be used to make lights where power has been destroyed. We collected candles of various sizes, colour, and decoration!
5. We distributed a copy of a small flyer to every person at our liturgy celebrations on Easter Sunday – approximately one hundred and fifty in all. Below is a copy of the flyer.
COMMUNITY
6. Introducing younger children to Laudato Si’ through the attractive CAFOD video.
7 After a long wait, we came together to look at the Bonnybrook Parish Pocket forest guide. There was interest and gratitude as we began to identify the many native trees in our pocket forest that are now coming into leaf again on the thriving saplings.
8. GLOBAL
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, our parish helped to fund the establishment of a skills centre at St Mary Magdalen Parish, Riwoto, South Sudan.
Beginners at the sewing class in the newly built skills centre. This class is aimed at young adults whose ability is best suited to hand on activity. It is hoped to open classes for hair styling and beautician classes in the future.