THE Church of the Most Precious Blood, Cabra, has received an Eco-Congregation Ireland award in recognition of its many eco-friendly initiatives.
Since 2008 the local parish has been going ‘green’ through projects such as transforming wasteland into a garden and holding an annual blessing of pets.
‘Care for the Earth’ is a frequent theme in sermons and every year children in local schools design eco-care posters which are displayed in the church.
Some parishioners have even started growing fruit and vegetables in their gardens and last autumn they brought their produce to a church Harvest Festival, which was then distributed after the final Eucharist of the day.
Eco-Congregation Ireland (ECI), an ecumenical project of the Irish Inter-Church Meeting, awards parishes that have incorporated environmental care into all aspects of parish life.
Congratulating Cabra West on its award, ECI’s Catholic representative, Catherine Brennan SSL, said: “It is quite clear to me that here in Cabra West you are already living out the call of Pope Francis to care for earth. It’s wonderful to see all that you have done.”
On receiving the award at his Farewell Mass, celebrated by Papal Nuncio His Excellency The Most Rev Charles Brown, Fr John Greene said: “Having Care for The Earth and Ecology as a priority has been important for the parish team since 2008.”
Fr Greene has now returned to Chile where he worked previously as a missionary. He is confident, however, that Care for the Earth will continue to be a priority in Cabra West, especially with the added inspiration and motivation of Pope Francis’s recent encyclical Laudato Si.