Swansea: Community comes together to highlight climate issues

Creation Celebration organisers at St David's

Source: CAFOD

The community of Swansea have recently come together to hold a Creation Celebration - a special event where people celebrate the environment and campaign to tackle climate change.

The local parish, St David's Priory RC Church in Swansea, was transformed for the Creation Celebration, which was organised by volunteers of the Catholic aid agency CAFOD.

During the celebration, the superb choir provided the music and lead the congregation with hymns and prayers were read in five languages - Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and English.

The church display board was covered in articles and photos that parishioners had brought along to show how they had seen the impact of climate change globally. After the Mass, the congregation came together to sign a petition addressed to the UK government asking for faster and more effective climate action.

CAFOD's local representative Therese Warwick, who attended the event, said: "The Creation Celebration Mass was introduced by two long-serving parish volunteers, Sally Meredith and Stuart Harper, ably supported by volunteers Mary, Geraldine, Maureen and Jane.

"They really brought home the aim of the event: to come together and engage in a conversation about climate change which is a concern for the whole parish community.

"The Creation Celebration continued with a celebratory meal and climate quiz during lunch where there was a discussion about the impact of the changing environment on local life - especially coastal areas."

Therese continued: "There was a marvellous response from the parish - Stuart Harper compered a climate quiz during lunch, a shared lunch was carefully co-ordinated to avoid wastage, and fabulous entertainment was provided by local band Keith & Co.

"It was a wonderful occasion thanks to a committed, knowledgeable and prayerful parish volunteer team, Canon Flook and enthusiastic fellow parishioners."

This was one of many Creation Celebration events, inspired by CAFOD's 'Our Common Home' campaign and organised by CAFOD volunteers around the country. It is hoped the events will highlight the growing concern for the environment and start new conversations about climate change.

Find out more about CAFOD's campaigns at: www. cafod.org.uk/campaign