Two Southside churches win eco awards

TWO churches in Rathfarnham have been awarded for
their environmental endeavours.

Rathfarnham Church of Ireland Parish and Rathfarnham
Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) have both been working
hard on eco awareness in recent years.

Each congregation has undertaken a number of
initiatives while the two have joined together for several events, including a
litter pick last May and a Service of Reflection on the Eve of Spring, which
was broadcast on RTE Radio 1 earlier this year. Members of both have also taken
part in Stop Climate Chaos campaigns.

Rathfarnham Parish events held to raise eco awareness
have included two Walk/Cycle to Church Sundays, screenings of the films The Age
of Stupid and The Economics of Happiness and a series of discussion evenings
based on Cultivates Powerdown DVD. Parishioners were joined on a 10/10/10
Carbon-Cutting Cycle by the Dodder by Alex White TD and former Minister for the
Environment, Eamon Ryan, as well as members of the local community.

The select vestry has adopted an environmental policy
and services regularly feature sermons, hymns and prayers with an environmental
theme. An eco stall has become a new addition to the parish fete and this
included a Guess the Number of Worms in the Wormery competition, which proved
very popular. First prize was a Home Organics hamper while second and third
prizes were bottles of wine made with Rathfarnham-grown blackberries and
rhubarb.

The group has also distributed over 300 copies of a
Local Food Directory they compiled, which encourages people to think about how
far their food travels before it reaches their plates. The directory lists
local shops and stalls that sell locally produced food. The group also started
a Local Food – South Dublin’ Facebook page.

Presenting the Eco-Congregation Ireland (ECI) award to
Rathfarnham Rector, Rev Ted Woods, ECI chairperson, Sr Catherine Brennan,
congratulated the parish on “the excellent work done in caring for Gods
creation

?.

“This work is foundational to the Christian
gospel and central to the Church’s mission,” she said. “May you
continue this journey into the future with enthusiasm and generosity.”

In his sermon, Rev Woods said: “As a parish,
thanks to our eco group, we have been made more environmentally aware and,
thanks to their efforts, have been given an Eco-Congregation award – as,
indeed, has the parish school in its Green Flag.

“We are not absolute masters of the world. In
Gods eyes we are managers, not masters, and the question is,

‘Are we
responsible or irresponsible in our management, in our stewardship, of this
fragile earths finite resources?

?

Since setting up an eco committee three years ago,
Rathfarnham Meeting has planted fruit trees and a herb garden and allowed part
of the lawn grow into a wild meadow, which is now home to three beehives.

The meeting uses energy-efficient light bulbs, where
possible, and has clearly-labelled bins for recyclables. All cleaning products
are environmentally friendly brands and containers have been put in the toilet
cisterns to save water. Fairtrade tea and coffee is always used and crockery,
rather than disposable cups and plates.

Members of the Meeting have signed up to The Litter
Project – a worldwide campaign that encourages people to commit to picking up a
piece of litter every day. One member of the eco committee also set up a
Facebook page called

‘One Piece of Litter a Day – Ireland.

Topics covered in Junior Meeting have included
recycling, living simply, planting herbs and bulbs, insects, eco quiz,
Fairtrade, Stop Climate Chaos, rainforests, water, globalisation and making a
bug hotel and an Easter Garden from natural materials. The young people have
also organised a number of fundraising cake sales, with beneficiaries including
VITA and Rainforest Concern.

The Rathfarnham congregations are not the first South
Dublin churches to receive eco awards. Last year Whitechurch Church of Ireland
and Dundrum Methodist Church also received ECI awards.

To find out more about Eco-Congregation Ireland see
www.ecocongregationireland.com.