Season of Creation

tree logo with Season of Creation written in black next to it.

The Season of Creation runs from 1st September to 4th October, the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. The theme for the season is Let Justice and Peace Flow (Amos 5:24).

There are lots of details about the season here and we’ll be  listing the events happening in our diocese, along with suggestions, resources and actions so do bookmark the page.

Each week we are sending out a newsletter on different themes around caring for creation with prayers, reflections and actions that are suitable for individuals, families, parishes and schools. You can sign up to receive the 5 editions straight into your inbox or use the links below. 

 week 1 :  week 2  :  week 3  :  week 4  :  week 5

The Season opens on 1st September with a day of prayer, and His Holiness, Pope Francis has written a letter, using the image of  a river, describing the need for us to come together, forming “streams, brooks and rivulets, merging finally together in a mighty river to irrigate the life of our marvellous planet and our human family for generations to come.” He asks us to transform our hearts, our lifestyles and our public policies so that once again our common home can teem with life.

Click on this link to download the Season of Creation prayer card.

Contribute to our river of activity by posting on our online photo gallery.

Watch just a few of the actions taken this Season from around the diocese.

logo image of 2 clusters of mountains, blue on the left, orange on the right, with a river flowing between them. Between the mountains, above the river is a blue bird in flight

Online Global Ecumenical Prayer Service

On Friday 1st September join the online global ecumenical prayer service at 2pm BST. You can access the service  from the Season of Creation website or directly on Youtube. 

The Season of Creation team have also put together a Celebration guide which has some suggestions for parish events that might take a little planning. One example is organising a Creation Walk in your local area. Our Lady and St Edmund Church in Abingdon are planning to re-establish their walk after a break due to COVID where they visited and prayed in 7 different locations including a playpark and wildflower meadow. The Laudato Si movement’s prayer book that contains prayers from around the world is a useful resource for an event.

Weekly actions and resources

Each week we will be putting ideas, actions and links to resources for individuals, families, parishes and schools on this page. Sign up if you would like them to arrive straight to you inbox each Friday.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagramand X (twitter)and sign up for our quarterly newsletter which is launching this September.

pictures of the social media icons
icons
a set of papwe resources spread over a white table with the booklet called building a caring community on top of the pile

LiveSimply and Journey2030 awards and resources

LiveSimply is the CAFOD award that brings people together in parishes and schools, strengthening bonds of community by 

  • Living simply
  • Living in solidarity with people in poverty
  • Living sustainably with creation

To start you just need a small and enthusiastic group and the support of your parish priest or head teacher. English Martyrs parish in Reading have recently been presented with their award, you can visit their website to find out more about their journey.

Journey to 2030 also have some great resources to help parishes to respond to the cry of the earth and cry of the poor. The ‘Building a Caring Community’ pack has posters, prayers and facilitators handbook (see picture) to guide your approach. More information can be found on their website where you can also purchase the packs.

Have a film night to show ‘The Letter’

The Letter tells the story of frontline leaders journeying to Rome to discuss the encyclical ‘Laudato Si” with Pope Francis. Each leader represents a group impacted by climate change and how they are fighting for change. It is a powerful film and can be downloaded free to show in parishes and groups. 

Lots of parishes in the Diocese have already shown the film and all speak highly of it. There are discussion questions suggested on the website as well as tips to make it a successful event.

One tip from parishes – it is likely to inspire people to act so have a follow up plan already in place to keep up the momentum.

picture of an airmail white envelope with The Letter, A message for Our Earth printed on it.
A picture of part of a textile art piece showing a stitched dragonfly on a multicoloured striped background

Threads Through Creation

If you are in Portsmouth from 5th Septermber to 15th October, do take some time to visit the Threads Through Creation exhibition at the Anglican Cathedral. Inspired from the story of creation in the book of Genesis, textile artist Jacqui Parkinson, has created some beautiful works. 

You get details about the exhibition using this link and about the textiles and artist here.

They look beautiful and the exhibition has very positive reviews.

Thank you V. Munday for the photo.