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Care for our Common Home

What does ecological conversion look like in the context of our parish communities? How can we as a church care for creation in sustainable and practical ways? Where do we start?

You are invited to join us at St Anthony in the Fields, Terrey Hills on 28th May 2022 from 10am to 12 noon as Professor Neil Ormerod and Thea Ormerod, President of Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, unpack the theological and practical framework for parishes to care for our common home.

With assistance from tools such as the Laudato Si’ Action Platform as well as the ACBC Social Justice Statement 2021-22, we can start to discern the signs of the times and work towards creating more sustainable parishes.

social-justice-neilNeil Ormerod was Professor of Theology at ACU for 14 years and currently works for the Sydney College of Divinity. He is widely published and has written major articles on Laudato Si'. He was made a Fellow of the Australian Catholic Theological Association, the first lay person have been bestowed the honour, in recognition of his major contribution to theology in Australia.

social-justice-theaThea is a Catholic Christian, a retired social worker, grandmother and climate justice advocate. She has long been involved in a range of social justice issues, mainly concerning global poverty. Established in 2007, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change is a multi-faith charity working for a safe climate in which all of life can flourish.

“This promises to be an exciting event that builds on conversations already happening in parishes around environmental sustainability,” said Emma Baker, from Evangelisation Broken Bay.

“Caring for our earth needn’t be about solving every ecological problem all at once, but looking around at our parish communities and asking ourselves: ‘What small, achievable change can we make today?’. It’s a journey and a process, that has dialogue as it’s foundation. It begins with ‘a culture of encounter’ as Pope Francis likes to call it.”

This event is for anyone interested in ecological sustainability in a parish context, especially parish leadership teams.

People are encouraged to bring a BYO picnic lunch to have in the beautiful grounds of St Anthony in the Fields following the event. Morning tea will be provided.

To register click here. Contact Emma Baker emma.baker@bbcatholic.org.au for more information. Please RSVP by 23 May for catering purposes.

Click here for more information on the social justice statement 2021-22 and resources to assist with small group discussions and practical first steps.