Catholic Earthcare convocation shares wisdom on caring for our common home

More than 145 representatives from dioceses, parishes and schools across Australia have participated in Catholic Earthcare’s three-day Season of Creation Convocation, concluding on Saturday 14 September.

The event called participants to ‘wonder, weave and heal’ together, to better care for creation. Across six in-person ‘hub’ events—held in Brisbane, Sandhurst, Parramatta, Bathurst, Sydney and Broken Bay—and a virtual convocation for those joining remotely, attendees heard from more than 40 speakers, who shared their wisdom on how to care for our common home.

In her keynote address, Sally Neaves, Integral Ecology Animator of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea, commented on how Church communities can support ecological mission and ministries, reminding participants that ‘institutions should provide the venue, and the people should provide the content.’

Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane also counselled that the Season of Creation ‘is a time to see with new eyes and listen with new ears, and to focus upon action.’

In line with that thinking, the keynote addresses were followed by workshops and discussions across days one and two, with day three reserved for diocesan hubs to come together to transform learning into action.

The call to show greater care for our common home comes directly from God, and is an important expression of faith for many Catholics across Australia.

More than 2,500 votes were also cast in the Season of Creation Convocation People’s Choice Art Competition, with Celestah at St John XXIII Catholic College in Stanhope Gardens, NSW, winning in the primary category, and Eliza from St Mary’s Star of the Sea College Wollongong winning in the secondary category. The Bishop’s Award, judged by Bishop Vincent Long of Paramatta, was given to Sarah from St Therese’s School, Essendon, in the primary category and Addison from St John XXIII Catholic College in the secondary category.

Alice Carwardine, Catholic Earthcare Coordinator for Caritas Australia, said, ‘The call to show greater care for our common home comes directly from God, and is an important expression of faith for many Catholics across Australia. The convocation was filled with fruitful meetings of minds, with attendees sharing perspectives, challenges and solutions. We hope that participants will return to their parishes, schools and dioceses with renewed enthusiasm for the task at hand.

‘At Catholic Earthcare we are immensely grateful to our speakers and attendees for sharing their thoughts and experiences, as doing so serves to advance our collective mission of caring for creation.’