Laudato Si’ - Faith and Ecology unite

Laudato Si’ - Faith and Ecology unite

Gubbio is a town in Umbria, Italy, nestled in the foothills of the Apennines. It’s peaceful and picturesque now, but once in the 1200s it was terrorised by a wolf that killed any of the residents that ventured outside of the town walls. Saint Francis of Assisi was asked to intercede on behalf of the residents and famously made a pact with the wolf that if the residents of the town fed the wolf it would stop killing. The wolf indicated its agreement by placing its large paw in Saint Francis’ hand. Thereafter, the wolf lived quietly with the villagers and they fed him and cared for him. The point of the story was that mankind needs to live in harmony with nature and that when the two are not in synch mankind suffers. Today the proverbial wolf at our door in Donabate and Portrane as coastal communities is climate change and also the broader issue of the ecological devastation that has been wrought on our common home. Pope Francis has tried to emulate his namesake by making climate change, ecological issues and care for the poor central to his pontificate. One key action was the publication of his encyclical whose title borrowed from Saint Francis’ words and was entitled Laudato Si’ - care for our common home” and Laudato Si’ calls on people to recognize the urgent need for ecological conversion and sustainable living. In our own community the call in Laudato Si’ has been answered by the establishment of a group in the Parish of Donabate, Portrane and Balheary dedicated to helping achieve Pope Francis’ ecological vision in the parish and wider community. Father Pat Reilly, P.P. who convened the group said “ For ecological conversion to take place we all need to think using our hearts as well as our heads.” The group has launched an initial plan with actions for our parish in the key areas highlighted in Laudato Si’. Details are available on the parish website. The group welcomes new members and more details can be obtained by emailing laudatosi2023@yahoo.com