Parishioners of St Edward the Confessor in Romford have been taking further environmentally conscious approaches to their faith and how they express it. Read below to learn why they’ve been getting up to.

Alongside some from St Mary Mother of God (Hornchurch), St Edward’s parishioners prayed an ecological rosary at Raphael Park. One parishioner described that it was “such a fruitful and prayerful time to be swayed by the wind under the shade of the trees.”

Then, on the first Sunday of September, to commemorate the beginning of the Season of Creation, the group held a vegan buffet in their Church Hall. They gave out seed balls, vegan recipes and other ecological resources. Those who attended were also invited to reflect on, evaluate and renew their previous environmental pledges that they had committed themselves to in the past.

These parishioners also created poster boards to be displayed in the hall. These boards were created to help other explore and reflect on the theme of this year’s Season of Creation: Living Water.

One parishioner told the organising group that she found the talk and display board both educational and interactive, whilst still being rooted in Scripture. She appreciate the practical approach to implementing LiveSimply principles, as well as the resources available to guide prayer – including the Novena to St Francis.

Explaining why and how the parish celebrated the Season of Creation, a member of the organising group said to us:

‘We are taking part in the Season of Creation because we believe caring for our common home is a shared responsibility. It is a time to reflect on how our choices affect the environment, to appreciate the beauty of creation, and to encourage others to protect it…

Parishioners tasted a selection of vegan foods, like Coronation chick pea sandwiches and took a lot of interest in our poster boards highlighting how vital water is,  the water of repentance, recent floods in Nepal and the River of Life as well as our local River Rom.’

Another parishioner who took part in the celebration that weekend said:

‘Season of Creation gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves of God’s creation and how we should look after as stewards. Celebrating this in the parish allowed us to share the message, exchange ideas and engage to the wider community about this  important topic which should be everyone’s mission. Small changes can make big progress.’

Actions like these, even something as seemingly small as praying the Rosary outside, all help to raise awareness of acute problems facing Creation, as well as open our hearts to our own interior ecological conversion.

Have you seen our Season of Creation 2026 resources yet? Check them out here<<

What is your parish doing this month to mark the Season of Creation? – get in touch with us: [email protected]