Creation Mass celebrated in South Norfolk home

Twenty parishioners aged from nine to 89 from all over the tiny parish of St Edmund Bungay and Harleston turned out on a rainy night in June to celebrate creation and express their care for our common home, reports Mary Kirk.

The house Mass, organised by the parish CAFOD team, was held in the village of Alburgh, South Norfolk, in the home of two parishioners, and was followed by a meat-free bring-and-share meal.

The Mass opened with everyone singing “How great Thou art.” Parish priest, Fr Charles Fitzgerald-Lombard chose the first reading, which was from St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, beginning with the words “There is no limit to the blessings which God can end you.” In his homily Fr Charles said that people often came up to Jesus and asked “What must we do,” and that clearly in terms of the environment and climate change there was a great deal that each person could do to live simply and reduce their carbon footprint.

The offerings of earth, seeds, oil and a plant symbolised God’s gifts, now under threat by man-made destructive ways of living.

After the Mass one of the CAFOD team, Mark Kalinauckas, spoke, urging everyone to be heedful of the environmental disaster which we have created, and to live more simply.

Afterwards one octogenarian parishioner said: “You really feel part of the community, it makes me think that is how it must have been in the early Church when the first Christians gathered in each other’s homes to pray and worship, and of course the women organised and facilitated a great deal of it!”

Newmarket parish also held a Creation Celebration on July 7 reports Marian Bardwell. Deacon James set the tone with his inaugural sermon on the theme of the climate crisis. After Mass there was a parish lunch and the CAFOD Climate Quiz. Tom Caple gave a lively presentation starting with his claim that ‘our pants are on fire’ moving onto a description of the challenges brought about by the climate crisis and some ideas about how we can respond. People present had lots of suggestions of ways in which the parish as a whole can respond to the situation which will be discussed at future parish meetings.

This summer CAFOD are encouraging parishes to hold Creation Celebrations, giving thanks for creation and to pray for the future of the earth, Our Common Home. More information is available at: https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Climate/Our-Common-Home

Pictured above, Fr Charles Fitzegerald-Lombard (in red vestments for the feast of St Boniface) celebrates Mass in a house in Alburgh.

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