Columban Fr. Patrick O’Beirne leads a processional prayer for God’s creation through the Columban vegetable garden in Suva, Fiji . Photo: St Columbans Mission Society
History:
Season of Creation is a time of grace when Christian communities renew their relationship with God the Creator and care for our common home through prayer, sustainability activities, and protective action. It began in 1989, when Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitros Papadopoulos proclaimed September 1 as the Orthodox Day of Prayer for Creation. The World Council of Churches later extended the observance to October 4, the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi. In 2015, Pope Francis brought Season of Creation formally into the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar after releasing Laudato Si’ on care for our common home.
Columbans Celebrate Season of Creation:
This year, the Columban Mission Centre ran its fourth consecutive Season of Creation Schools competition, inviting students across Oceania to submit art, poetry, and essays on the theme “Immersion in Living Waters.” The theme draws from Ezekiel 47:9 and 12, where God’s living waters bring life, abundance, and healing.
Columban Companions plant mangroves in the Kiribati islands.Photo: St Columbans Mission Society
Columbans in the region of Oceania have responded to Season of Creation by partaking in ecological events, such as coastal defense through the planting of mangroves in Fiji and Kiribati. Healthy mangrove systems in the islands not only protect low lying atolls from king tides, powerful waves, and rising sea levels, but they nurture biodiversity through local fish populations and enriched coastal eco-systems.
Faith in Action:
Here at the Columban Mission Centre, the work with schools has continued in the lead up to Season of Creation with sessions facilitated at Holy Eucharist Primary School in Melbourne’s west.
Working together with the School’s Religious Education Leader, Ms. Clare Christie, Columban Partnerships Coordinator, Mariana Waqa, designed sessions on care for God’s creation and facilitated to almost 200 grade five and six students at the school. Included in the sessions were Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, the story of Saint Francis of Assisi, and opportunities for students to contribute action based solutions to the ecological crisis.
Grade six students did an excellent job defining words like “integral ecology,” “biodiversity,” and “sustainability” into their own words and each of the eight classes had an opportunity to take a quiz in order to win some healthy treats towards the end of the session.
Columban co-worker Assunta Arena was able to organise flowers and plants from the Columban gardens in Essendon for grade five students to touch and reflect upon during their sessions, while grade six students had a chance to stroll outdoors, like St Francis of Assisi, and meditate on the sights and sounds of God’s creation in their schoolyard.
Grade five students were able to reflect on creation through flowers and plant life brought with the team from the Columban gardens in Essendon. Photo: St Columbans Missions Society
A Time of Grace:
As we enter into this year’s Season of Creation from September 1st to October 4th, let us be immersed in God’s love for creation. Let us remember our responsibility towards one another and our common home.
May this time of grace be filled with prayerful actions that protect biodiversity in sky, land, and water. God’s majesty is expressed through the world around us and we are called to be good stewards of this common home we share together with all living creatures.
A blessed Season of Creation to all!
Mariana Waqa is the Regional Schools & Community Partnerships Coordinator.
