See this month’s flyer!
Please consider giving an hour or so to help clean up our neighborhood. Saturday, March 26, 2022, 10am-12noon
We invite parishioners and friends to join us in preparing our hearts and our earth for the burst of new life to come forth this spring. Resurrection. As our gift to this neighborhood, let us work to renew our land and protect our waterways. Share an hour or so of your time to pick up trash and recyclables in a designated area between St Malachi and the river. Meet at 10am in the St. Malachi parking lot (behind the church) for opening prayer. We’ll clean up the streets (trash and recyclables) going down the hill to the Flats. Back at St Malachi for closing prayer at 11:45. Bags and gloves provided. Optional: Gather at a nearby restaurant for brunch following litter pick up. Questions? Email: riccobene726@gmail.com .
About the Lenten Litter Pilgrimage
During this Lenten season, we examine our actions that have caused ruptures in our relationships. We are called to restore our relationships with God the creator, with our sisters and brothers in our one human family, and with all of God’s creatures dwelling within our common home. We must carve out time to renew, repair, and restore these sacred relationships.
As Genesis 9:15 reminds us, God’s covenant is not only with humans but with “every living creature.” The word “creation” itself evokes meanings that transcend artificial divides between the “human” and “nature.” “Creation” signals the truth of our interconnected reality. When we use the word “creation” (instead of “eco” or “environment”), we demonstrate our humble self-awareness that we are part of the created order. Moreover, we recognize that our Creator is constantly working with us to redeem and sustain all of creation. 1
Why a pilgrimage?
As people of faith, we are a community of pilgrims, on journey together towards life in all its fullness. The journey can be transformative—a way to discover ourselves anew in new relationships with God’s creation and with each other. As pilgrims, we walk together (safely distanced apart) and invite others along the way to journey with us for the healing and reconciliation of the suffering and brokenness of this world. 2
Practically speaking…We will pick up several dozen garbage bags of trash and recyclables that would otherwise blow down the hill or down the storm drains and end up in our river and beautiful Lake Erie. Our great lake is the source of drinking water for 11 million people. Let’s do our part to protect her. Please come on Saturday, March 26 from 10am-12pm to participate in West Side Creation Care’s Lenten Litter Pilgrimage. Meet in the St Malachi parking lot. 2459 Washington Ave.
Prayer for Stewardship of Creation
Creator God, grant us the will to move forward on our pilgrimage to generate transformative changes in our hearts, our minds, our congregations, our neighborhood, and our world. Guide and inspire us so that our pilgrimage will open us to one another through dynamic and considerate interaction, joining together for the care of Your amazing creation that fills us with wonder and awe. God of life, lead us to be living instruments of Your justice, Your peace, and Your renewal of all creation. Amen.
“All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his orher own culture, experience, involvements, and talents.”
– Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ , par. 14 3
Citations
1- United Church of Christ – Environmental Ministries
2- World Council of Churches – an invitation to the pilgrimage of justice and peace
3- Laudato Si’ (Praise be to you, my Lord): On Care for Our Common Home (May 2015)