Laudato Si - alive in England

List News

05/06/2019 - United Kingdom

Anne McCabe's "Laudato Sí moment" in England

I was delighted to be able to visit the Laudato Si Centre , a new initiative based in the grounds of Wardley Hall (home to the Bishop of Salford, John Arnold). The Centre will eventually consist of four main areas:

walled garden
large woodland area
creative educational centre
camping area

Each area is linked into the other - interconnected - for as Pope Francis is keen on repeating “Everything is connected”.

This project is a response to the challenge of Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment and human ecology. This beautiful space is the result of careful planning so as to model practical action to care for our common home - this will help to leave a sustainable world for future generations, as well as providing a space for reflection, discussion and celebration of life.

I heard mention of bees (to arrive a few days after my visit), chickens and goats. I also heard of much working together and valuable partnerships being formed with schools, the forestry groups, bee keepers, parishes and, basically anyone who can offer expertise, practical help, funding and time!

The Centre has incorporated the learnings of others around the globe and is adopting ecological solutions to problems such as "single-use plastic". The "eco brick" is a way of putting old plastic bottles to good use. When the bottles are packed with waste plastic they become a very useful material and are used instead of bricks for building walls. These are the materials that will be used to build the raised gardens and other small structures at Wardley Hall.

It was also on this visit that I was introduced to and was given a "BOB Box". Yes, I needed an explanation, too! It's a "Bat or Bird" Box – with the dual purpose of offering a home to bats or birds! The boxes serve a further dual purpose - they raise much-needed funds for CAFOD to help the poorest people across the world to have clean water and sanitation and to build sustainable livelihoods for themselves.

"Watch this space" because a "BOB Box" will be appearing in the Via Aurelia garden in the near future!

On Wednesday 15th May Archbishop Edward Adams, the Apostolic Nuncio, blessed the Walled Garden which is part of the initial stages of development for the Laudato Si Centre.

We wish this creative initiative every blessing!