14 August 2024
Dear Father / Parish Leadership Team members / Laudato Si' Group members
I write to promote the resources for the Season of Creation 2024 which begins on 1 September and concludes on 4 October 2024 – Feast of St Francis of Assisi, Patron of Ecology.You are asked to start raising awareness of the Season in your parish newsletter / social media platforms.The Season of Creation theme for 2024 is 'To hope and act with Creation,' rooted in the Pauline image of the Earth as a Mother groaning as in childbirth (Rom 8:22).
I invite you to view the wide variety of Season of Creation Resources that are available at catholicbishops.ie/laudato-si/season-of-creation-2024 .I ask that you consider the following and choose as considered appropriate:
- a set of suggestions for liturgies and homilies for each Sunday within the Season of Creation;
- a Season of Creation 2024 Prayer calling attention to how we are not caring for creation.It invites us to call on the Holy Spirit to help us groan with creation and on God, our Creator, to help us bring the compassion of Christ to the climate crisis;
- a Biodiversity Leaflet containing useful suggestions for parishes, schools and homes on promoting Biodiversity this Season of Creation;
- a Season of Creation resource as-Gaelige from Trócaire,
- an exercise entitled Rubbish Graveyard produced by An Tairseach Ecology Centre, Wicklow, which demonstrates how long it takes items to degrade;
- Reflections for an Ecological Rosary with the Luminous Mysteries;
- The details for a Creation Walk similar to that opened during Laudato Si' Week on Saturday, 25 May 2024 in the grounds of the International Eucharistic and Marian Shrine at Knock.
The Season of Creation Resources 2024 also feature suggestions for Tree Planting, Blessing of Pets on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on 4 October and a variety of appropriate rituals, meditations and prayer services.
Finally, I draw your attention to the recommendation that we Return 30% of our Parish Grounds to Nature by 2030.For additional guidelines on this particular initiative, visit catholicbishops.ie/laudato-si/returning-to-nature
Yours sincerely
+ Donal McKeown
Bishop of Derry