West London Justice and Peace reports

Cleaning Minet Country Park

Seven West London parishes shared their work at a West London Justice and Peace (J&P) Network meeting in Hayes parish on Saturday, 19 October.

Roundtable parish reports included one from Hilda McCafferty of Our Lady of Fatima, White City. The parish has just finished a Care for Creation Month and are applying to be a Live Simply parish. They had a wide range of activities, with films (attended by 30-40 people), walks, creation quiz night, zero-hero events, a 'Care for Creation Fair' (involving people beyond the parish itself); an ethical fashion night; work with the Felix Project and City Harvest (which collects and distributes food which is about to be wasted - getting them to old-people's clubs, school holiday projects etc). Parish priest Fr Richard Nesbitt was thanked for his warm support. Hilda is currently engaged in spreadsheet on the church's energy use which involves finding and checking all the meters; checking the year's bills; and seeking better energy alternatives.

Sr Ruth Percival & Patrick Conn from Ealing Abbey reported on a Day of Creation 'plant sale and swop' event which people enjoy. Sr Ruth reported he interest in climate change since it was already apparent when she was in East Africa in the 1980s and the Masai were already finding that the rains were changing.

Pat O'Donohoe of Our Lady and St Joseph, Hanwell reported supporting CAFOD's Harvest Fast Day, and raising awareness about Prisoners Sunday using prayer cards designed by a local parishioner. The group's members are active in local foodbank efforts, and collect donations in the church. Peace Sunday in January will be marked and this is an awareness raising and fundraising opportunity for Pax Christi. In Lent, there are plans to do an environmental campaign and the parish will draw on the design skills of members to promote 'giving up' options related to the environment.

Miriam McEneaney of St Lawrence, Feltham and a CAFOD volunteer, reported that work has been done on CAFOD's Common Home campaign. CAFOD is organising two reflection study days on 2 November (Romero House) and 30 November (in Oakwood) on the theme of the Common Good - Love is civic and political. It will focus on human rights defenders around the world and on Catholic Social Teaching.

Maggie Beirne of The Holy Family in West Acton reported work on CAFOD's Harvest Fastday. The parish priest said Masses for Creation.

Ann Mullaney of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, Hayes, has been trying to raise issues of Live Simply / eco church with young people - service projects for confirmandi for example. Many around the table lamented that many parishes no longer have catechetical coordinators or youth workers.

Patricia Gordon-Harris from Our Lady of Lourdes, Acton High Street, reported that the parish is now a Fairtrade Parish, receiving the status in July. In the week before CAFOD's harvest day collection, a CAFOD speaker shared about the challenges communities in Peru are facing and how the parish's support helps. In September/early October, the parish focussed on Care of Creation, based on Pope Francis' Laudato Si'. Acton Homeless Concern celebrated 30 years of service in the community in September.

Ellen Teague of the Columban JPIC team drew attention to the Columban Vocation for Justice magazine, and pointed out the journalism competition for young people on tackling throw-away culture - which might be of particular interest for use in schools and with confirmation groups (deadline 14 February 2020 - www.columbans.co.uk). She highlighted that 'Creation Care' is a new initiative of the Catholic Bishops Conference and includes three videos which are free downloadable resources for use in parishes and catechetical situations - www.ourcommonhome.co.uk.

Maggie Beirne reported from the Diocesan J&P Commission that Fr Dominic Robinson of Farm Street has taken over as chair and there was to be a first introductory meeting of the Commission on 21 October. A new fieldworker should be appointed soon. An excellent meeting of the Forum on Social Justice & Peace was held in Arnos Grove the previous week on the topic of poverty in the UK, based on the UN report issued recently. Maggie had prepared a short extract of biblical and CST quotes on poverty for those in attendance.

During the meeting there was a presentation by Simon Brown of A Rocha UK, which is based in Southall. In the 1980s in Southall, A Rocha UK found an area which is now the Minet Country Park, but which at the time as an abandoned wasteland. Working with the Council, churches and the local community the area has been restored, creating a 'green lung' for the area, and which hosts school visits to allow young children to see pond-life and learn, for example, how caterpillars become butterflies.

A Rocha supports Christian landowners around the country to care for their land in an environmentally friendly way (supporting hedgehogs, housemartins, newts etc). A second initiative has been to create two reserves. The first is an urban reserve, Wolf Fields, south of Southall. An ugly, rubbish-dumping area close to a school was cleared and beehives, smallholdings, orchards, wildlife areas developed. With over 80% of the UK population urbanised it is essential to bring wildlife to them. The second, a rural reserve has been created on the Suffolk Essex border. Foxearth Meadows is special for dragonflies, and for people to experience wildlife and the beauty of creation. In due course it is hoped that it may be possible to host Retreats here.

A Rocha produces a regular bulletin for individuals - 'Wild Christian' - and is developing an Eco-Church network. Churches work to carry out an environmental audit in five areas: (a) worship and teaching; (b) buildings; (c) land; (d) community, global and local; and (e) lifestyle of congregation. See ecochurch.arocha.org.uk - 2000 churches of various denominations have already signed up and it is noticeable how much environmental awareness has taken off in the last year. It is worth emphasising that the commitment can be undertaken by even the most 'urban' of churches. One of the 'gold standard' churches is St James in Piccadilly. This is similar to the Live Simply scheme overseen by CAFOD - https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/How-to-Campaign/Livesimply-award.

Simon asked, so why should Christians be concerned about the environment? Genesis tells us that creation is good, indeed 'very good', and God who made us in his image told us to look after his creation. In Hosea, we read "because of you, the land mourns". St Paul talks about creation "groaning" and we are all taught that 'God so loved the world, he gave his only Son…; Simon noted that "it says God loved the world, not humans alone.

In the discussion to follow, the following was noted:

A Rocha has a monthly e-news which can receive by visiting http://eepurl.com/gfHNQT

It has no official stance vis-à-vis the Extinction Rebellion. They have supported the school strikes and many other environmental events, but agree it is important to get the balance right between protesting and moving change forward.

Many people are signing up to practical ideas like 'flight reduction' and sometimes whole villages have done a Carbon Footprint Survey which allows one to discuss as a community, and as individuals, what can be done

Green Energy suppliers are often a good option for people - eg Good Energy, Ecotricity, Lumo Energy, and they are becoming steadily cheaper

Several agreed that hope is a very good signal to give - particularly when encouraging young people to engage - but it also counters any risk of 'eco-depression'

Greta Thunberg is a great model for young people and to encourage them, if not always to talk to world leaders, at least to talk within their families and schools

Concern as to whether the church leaders are active enough on these issues. Now there is an environmental desk in the Catholic Bishop's Conference with Bishop Arnold being the episcopal spokesperson. It helps if we do a top-down and a down-up approach: Laudato Si' helps in this regard but it, and CST generally, needs to be taught in seminaries.