Diss parish becomes 25th to receive livesimply award

The Catholic church of St Henry Morse in Diss, Suffolk, East Anglia Diocese, has become the 25th parish in the country to receive the livesimply award. The livesimply plaque was presented on 14 May by Bernard Shaw of East Anglia Justice and Peace, who volunteers with CAFOD and with Cambridge Carbon Footprint. He had assessed the parish for the award alongside Pat Keating of Stowmarket parish, which received the award last September. The parish lead contact was Judith Tooth, who lobbied the Paris climate talks in December 2015 with a CAFOD delegation

The Diss church achieved the award after a rigorous assessment, during which parishioners described how they had risen to the challenge of eating less meat – some even becoming vegan – and using less water, all of which are actions that have financial returns, as well as preserving precious resources. The church’s commitment to the environment was also evident in the very architecture of the building. Solar panels had been installed on the roof and a ground source heat pump installed in the grounds, meaning the carbon footprint of the church is much smaller than it otherwise would be. The parish held a livesimply week of action last September, with a different focus each day. The church has also started keeping bees, with an official ‘parish beekeeper’!

Championed by the aid agency CAFOD, the award is given to parishes and schools who show they have been living simply, sustainably, and in solidarity with people in poverty. Inspired by the Pope’s encyclical Laudato Si’ – a 2015 letter by the Pope addressed to the whole world, encouraging Catholics to care for the environment and the world’s poorest people, the parish started working towards the award 15 months ago.

Bernard Shaw said: "I was impressed by how parishioners at St Henry Morse church were building on a special week of action that they had held earlier this year. There is a definite process there of spiritual development and plans for wider engagement".

Father David Bagstaff, parish priest at St Henry Morse, said: “We want speaking and acting in favour of the most marginalised to become part of the Catholic DNA here in St Henry Morse. The greatest contribution to this massive challenge of prayer and action for our common home comes from Pope Francis in his letter, Laudato Si’, praise to my lord.”

Stephen Matthews, CAFOD representative in Diss, said: “I would like to congratulate St Henry Morse on becoming the 25th livesimply parish in the country. It’s a wonderful testament to their hard work and commitment to putting the most marginalised at the centre of their parish life.”

Visit the parish website here: www.sthenrymorse.com

For more information about the livesimply award: http://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/How-to-campaign/Livesimply-award