Zoom retreats at Boarbank Hall: Living Laudato Si'

Sr Margaret Atkins OSA

Following the popularity of their October and January Zoom Retreats, Living Laudato Si': Your Parish and Your Planet, Boarbank Hall is making the most of continued Lockdown to offer two more: 12th-15th March and 16th-19th April.

By the standard of present crises, Covid-19 is minor. But the major disasters that threaten - social, economic, ecological, spiritual - are so daunting that they paralyse us. How on earth do we start tackling them? Who on earth can take the lead? It's all so urgent - but when will something be done? How about you, here and now? No, we can't do this alone. But we are not alone. We are in the hands of God, members of his Church here on earth, concretely expressed in our local parishes. Why not start there? Or maybe you have already started there and need encouragement, support or ideas.

The Zoom Retreat will be led by Sr Margaret Atkins, an Augustinian Canoness at Boarbank Hall in Cumbria and author of Catholics and Our Common Home: Caring for the Planet in a Time of Crisis (CTS), Trish Sandbach, who worked in Oxfam Education and is an assessor for the CAFOD LiveSimply award (see https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Livesimply-award) and John Paul de Quay and Ellie Margetts, founder members of the Ecological Conversion Group and Journey to 2030 (see https://journeyto2030.org/). There will also be a panel discussion for sharing advice on practical projects.

As before, they will be joined by a bishop to begin and conclude the weekends. Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark and Bishop Peter Brignall of Wrexham (March), and Archbishop Bernard Longley (Birmingham) and Bishop Marcus Stock (April) have kindly agreed to do this for us. It would be especially good if parishioners from their dioceses could join up for the respective weekends to support them!

What will happen? A long weekend of talks and discussions on zoom, and practical activities, on living the message of Laudato Si' in and through your parish. Sessions will be in the evenings Friday to Monday, Saturday morning, and Saturday and Sunday late afternoon, so leaving you free for work and other activities.

Who is it for? Any interested parishioner is most welcome to join. The weekend is aimed especially at people with parish responsibilities or who are part of or want to start a relevant parish group.

Times Sessions will be on Friday night, Saturday morning and night, Sunday afternoon and night and Monday night (leaving people free during the day on Monday).

Cost - voluntary donations gratefully accepted, but there will be no fee for the weekend.

To apply, simply email Sr Margaret Atkins on margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk.

Learn more about Boarbank Hall here; www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyg5a_rnsm8