Living Simply, Sustainably and in Solidarity with the Poor during Lent

Upminster Bunnies

It is hard to believe that four years ago it had never occurred to me to become part of the Live Simply Campaign but here we are with our award, presented in November 2020. It was by chance that I read about a parish which had received its award and realised that this was something from which my own parish would benefit while making a valuable contribution to others.

The most important aspect of Live Simply is that it quickly becomes a way of life: an integral part of everything one does without even realising it. At first the idea of starting such an initiative in my parish was daunting. Each week I read about what other parishes were doing and wondered how we could ever match their efforts. However, it wasn't until I began to study 'Laudato Si', Pope Francis' encyclical, that I realised the relevance of Live Simply and how it underpins everything for which we should be striving.

We began our campaign in May 2018 and it is a tribute to our parishioners how quickly they engaged with our goals. They supported every initiative proposed, spread the news to family and friends and gave generously of their time and money. I must pay tribute to our parish secretary who has worked tirelessly for our campaign in so many ways and to the small band of parishioners who have been at the core of what we do.

When Covid-19 took the world by storm in 2020 it seemed as if all our plans would come to nothing: our annual 'Thank You Afternoon' for all those who help in the parish, the parish fun day and dog show, our vintage teas, concerts and our first ever flower show, all cancelled but as these were put on hold so other opportunities offered themselves. Our welcoming team at Mass expanded to include parishioners who had not previously been involved, we reached out to those who were isolated by joining a parish partnership initiative doing shopping and making phone calls for those unable to get out, even our booking system for Mass meant that we took phone calls and emails from parishioners with whom we had previously had little contact. New relationships were forged and sustained.

However, our significant contribution has been two-fold: firstly from our knitting group which has continued to create beautiful items for charities throughout lockdown and our support for another parish which opens its doors to many people in need. We make an appeal every week in the newsletter for food, clothes and essential items. The response has been amazing, not just from parishioners but others in our local community who have heard about our appeal, and each week we deliver full car loads of items. We hope to continue this long into the future.

Finally, as we enter the Lenten season, I thought about how to bring the parish together in a spiritual way to complement what our parish priest does for us. I put together a Lenten reflection based on the Live Simply ideals with images, pledges and biblical references for us to peruse each day of Lent and which is now on our website. Several of us are also 'Walking For Water' in support of the CAFOD initiative.

To any parish thinking of taking up the Live Simply campaign please don't hesitate. For me the benefits are immeasurable. In striving to fulfil the three strands of Living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor we have found common causes to unite us and we are able to enhance our own well-being by knowing that we are protecting our environment and helping others.

Bernadette Tsocos is the Live Simply Coordinator of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Upminster in Brentwood Diocese.

www.stjosephschurchupminster.com/

https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Livesimply-award