Brandon Scott
On 7 September, Bishop Martin Hayes of Kilmore, Episcopal Coordinator for Laudato Si’/Laudate Deum, and a member of the Laudato Si’ Working Group (LSWG) of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, was invited to speak in Kinsale, Co Cork, as part of the current Season of Creation celebrations.
In his presentation, Bishop Hayes highlighted the main theme of Laudato Si’, namely: we are called to live simply, and create awareness of our interrelationships with each other, with nature and with God our Creator.
He said, “Laudato Si’ also asks us to embrace integral ecology, cultivate a spirituality of caring for each other and the Earth, and to be open to an ecological conversion.
Bishop Hayes spoke about the opportunity to celebrate the Season of Creation – which started on 1 September and goes to 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assist patron of ecology – whose theme this year is ‘to hope and to act with creation’. He highlighted “this Season provides us with the chance to offer appreciation for creation, to enter its rhythm and to recognise that we are all creatures of God”.