KENYA: Season of Creation to Kick-off with Global Prayer Service for Healing of Relationships
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The season of creation, an annual event meant to “renew relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment” is set to commence with a virtual online global prayer service calling everyone to heal relationships with each other and with creation.
The month-long annual event slated to take place from September 1 to October 4 the feast of St. Francis of Assisi the patron saint of ecology is to bring together Christians across the globe to pray and care for our common home.
According to the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) Program Manager for Africa Fr. Benedict Ayodi, Kenya has various activities during the season of creation including a symbolic act of tree planting in Kakamega forest; a Webinar on the type of energy Africans use to help them divest from oil, gas and other fossil fuel; and a Laudato Si’ Mass to celebrate and bless animals among others.
Globally, season of creation activities are coordinated by an ecumenical steering committee formed to help Christians around the world fulfil the purpose of the season and to strengthen a united response.
Convened this year under the theme “Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope,” the movement calls humanity to “enter a time of restoration and hope, that requires radically new ways of living with creation and to consider the integral relationship between rest for the Earth and ecological, economic, social, and political ways of living.”
Celebration of Season of Creation began in 1989 with the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s recognition of the Day of Prayer for Creation and is now embraced by the wide ecumenical community, and Pope Francis officially made the Roman Catholic Church welcome the Season of Creation in 2015.
The steering committee has also formulated a prayer to be recited during the season of creation to appreciate God’s creation and be motivated to care for the earth.
