By Lauret Tipping 

On Sunday 8 September Our Lady of the Wayside Parish were presented with a LiveSimply Award by Bishop David Evans, a very proud moment for the parish. 

Two years ago we announced that we were going to try as a parish to achieve the CAFOD LiveSimply award without really knowing how it was going to happen – but it has happened thanks to everyone in the parish. 

Much work has also been done behind the scenes by the Finance Committee to ensure that we are reducing our total electricity and gas consumption and making savings on those bills. 

Parish priest Fr Andrew Franklin has also made changes to his ways in the Presbytery in order to save energy and LiveSimply – using his air fryer instead of the oven has helped and he has been making good use of the compost bin too!

Lots of parishioners have contributed items to the recycling boxes at the back of the church. For example we have donated well over 200 pairs of old glasses to The Lions, who refurbish them and send them to those in need in Africa. We have also collected lots of stamps and old mobile phones for charity.

The parish have held two very successful 'Clear out for CAFOD' events where old, unwanted items have found good homes for a contribution to CAFOD.

Of course, just because we’ve now got the award doesn’t mean that we are going to stop all these great ways of helping us to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor. In fact we are going to extend the items that we’ll collect for recycling to include old jewellery, old or foreign coins and broken or unwanted electronic devices, such as games consoles and tablets as well as mobile phones. All the money from these will go to CAFOD.  Please place them in the new collection box at the back of church. 

We will still be collecting spectacles in the blue box. We will also be having another Clear out for CAFOD on Sunday 29 September, so start collecting your unwanted odds and ends to bring in for that. If anyone has upcycled anything from the sales do let us know – perhaps we could have a competition for the best upcycled item?

Today sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight and as one of the main ideas of the LiveSimply initiative is that we should live in solidarity with the poor, perhaps we could all try to look out for Fairtrade items at the supermarkets to add to our shopping baskets.

As you know, this is The Season of Creation where we are focusing on all that Pope Francis has said on the theme of living simply and caring for creation. There are some excellent resources on the CAFOD website if you want to look further. 

To finish the Season, we will be having a short service on the evening of the feast of St Francis, Friday 4 October (as we have done for the last two years). It would be great to see lots of you there to celebrate God’s wonderful Creation and our part in looking after it.

Fr Andrew adds his thanks to all those who have been involved.

Our Lady of the Wayside

CAFOD LiveSimply

The Season of Creation in our Archdiocese

Photo Gallery by Con McHugh