26.11.2015
President Higgins Attends National Prayer Service Ahead of Paris Climate Summit
A large congregation gathered in St Teresa’s Carmelite Church on Clarendon Street in Dublin city centre yesterday evening (November 25) to pray for climate justice. The National Ecumenical Prayer Service in Preparation for the UN Climate Summit, which takes place in Paris from November 30 to December 11, was organised by Eco Congregation Ireland, Christian Aid and Trócaire. President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina were in attendance and were joined by Church leaders from five denominations including Archbishop Michael Jackson.
The service was led by Archdeacon Andrew Orr, Chairperson of Eco Congregation Ireland. Following a welcome by the Prior of St Teresa’s Church, the Archdeacon said that the COP21 talks represented the best and possibly the last chance to reach agreement on measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He said that Christians must take action as well as pray. “By joining prayer with action we become the cause of our own prayers,” he stated.
Giving the reflection, Sr Nellie McLaughlin RSM laid out the statistics behind the crisis on our planet. “At this time we stand together with billions of our companions, human and animal, as we look with hope and fear towards the global climate summit in Paris,” she said.
Sr Nellie said the consequences of climate change reverberated around the planet and rendered millions of people and species poor, hungry and homeless, Our current model of living was unsustainable and increasingly humans were trying to live more responsibly, she added saying creative thinking was required to tackle the crisis.
During the service representatives of each denomination presented official documents pledging their commitment to care for creation. Archbishop Jackson brought forward the Church of Ireland’s Environmental Charter which was passed by General Synod in May 2015.
Students from Loreto College, St Stephen’s Green, Newpark Comprehensive School, the King’s Hospital School and the Quaker tradition took part in the service and children from St Clare’s Primary School in Harold’s Cross presented a climate change animation. Poet John F Deane recited two of his poems, one of which – A River Flows – was written for the occasion.
The service concluded with a pledge to live responsibly and honour God’s Creation. People were also urged to join the People’s Climate March this Sunday, November 29, at 2.00 pm from Custom House Quay in Dublin.
The Eco Congregation candle, which has been specially commissioned and will be brought to congregations all around Ireland over the coming year, started its journey. Archdeacon Orr presented it to the Pastor Martin Sauter of the Dublin Lutheran Congregation.
Photo Captions:
Top – President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina with Rosamond Bennett of Christian Aid, Eamonn Meehan of Trocaire and Archdeacon Andrew Orr of Eco Congregation Ireland.
Bottom – President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina with representatives of the five denominations attending the service of prayer for climate justice.
For more photos see the Dublin and Glendalough Facebook page.