WelCom July 2019:
The weeks around Catholic Schools’ Day, 28 May 2019, World Environment Day, 5 June, and World Oceans Day, 8 June, saw Catholic students in our two dioceses responding to Pope Francis’ call to care for the earth and care for the poor; and to celebrate who we are as Catholics.
Cardinal John Dew met student environmental representatives from Catholic secondary schools in the Archdiocese on Thursday 6 June. He listened to their concerns and shared insights from Pope Francis’ letter on creation care: Laudato Si’. The gathering arose from student discussions with Cardinal John after the School Strike for Climate on 15 March. The group planted a symbolic Totara tree at St Mary’s College, Wellington.
Senior students from St Patrick’s College Wellington and Cardinal John planted a Totara tree in the grounds of St Mary’s College (l-r): Patrick Ryan; William Georgeson; Patrick Topp; Jack Duignan; Cardinal John Dew; Hugo Bell.
St Catherine’s College, Kilbirnie, students Gabrielle, Isabella, and Lalise, plant a Kowhai tree on World Environment Day.
Sacred Heart School Petone celebrated World Environment Day with a Liturgy provided by the Archdiocese and planting a tree to also remember Bob Rosemergy, one of their grandparents, who died recently. Bob, known to all of us as Farfar Bob, used to come in and work with New Entrants teaching them PE. He did this for eight years. A Kowhai tree was planted in his memory and to celebrate World Environment Day. Pictured are a group of children who planted the tree including the grandchildren of Farfar Bob, NE teacher Jacqui Pennington and Principal Liz Heatley.
Young children plant for their future
An enthusiastic group of children at Holy Family school Porirua, marked World Environment Day by planting a young Rimu tree. The Garden Club led by their teacher Anita Radcliffe, prepared the soil, planted and blessed the Rimu along with some young Kowhai. After this seedling outgrew its pot and with an eye on the future, the children helped this Rimu to grow strong in the earth. Children prayed that God Creator of all, would help everyone care for all living things.