Commenting on this year’s Season of Creation resources for schools, Kate Liffey (pictured) of CEIST Network, said, “Leadership in a faith school has a particular end and it cannot just be to an idea, it has to be in terms of a person; the person of Christ. Walking with Christ, Catholic schools link faith to service and to justice. That service in these times must surely speak to climate justice as it is without a doubt the most pressing issue facing our planet. Linking leadership, service, justice and climate change in prayer resources such as these really challenges schools to think about leadership in faith schools in a new and very concrete way and invites schools to seek out ways of putting beliefs into concrete actions in their own contexts, for the common good, where it matters most.
“Climate change is a key issue that the founding congregations of many of our Catholic schools are working on themselves. So individual schools can, if they wish, link back to the global reach and work of the congregation that founded their school, as relevant. Climate anxiety is a very real issue for a lot of young people. (See https://www.walkinmyshoes.ie/library/blogs-and-articles/2023/april/climate-change-and-mental-health). These prayer services give a space for hope (which is a key part of the theme of Season of Creation) through reflection and action, empowering young people to think of themselves as leaders in this area.
“Finally, and very obviously, the spirituality piece is key here. The resources are not simply a ‘to do’ list of ‘ways to save the planet’. Rather, they challenge Catholic school communities to look with fresh eyes on the world and on themselves as agents for change in the world. The challenge is to see the imprint of our creator God on all of creation. While these resources are linked to opening year services in schools, they can be used at any time during the Season of Creation.
Ms Liffey concluded, “We thank CEIST and in particular Mr Gerry McGuill, CEO of CEIST, for sharing these resources originally developed for CEIST schools, with other Catholic schools, primary and secondary, in Ireland.
In 2007, in the spirit of their founders, five Catholic religious congregations in post-primary education for over three and a half centuries – Daughters of Charity, Presentation Sisters, Sisters of the Christian Retreat, Sisters of Mercy, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart – established CEIST, Catholic Education as an Irish Schools Trust. CEIST’s mission is to provide a holistic education in the Catholic tradition.
Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’ on care for our common home, was a best-selling publication developed around the concept of integral ecology, as a paradigm able to articulate the fundamental relationships of the person: with God, with one’s self, with other human beings, with creation. The Laudato Sí Working Group of the Irish Bishops’ Conference, and Trócaire, acts to fulfil the mission of Laudato Sí.
To view and download these resources visit https://www.catholicbishops.ie/season-of-creation-2024-schools-resources
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