Laudato Si inspires environmental celebrations

 St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Park Avenue presented its second annual Laudato Si’ Expo on May 19 combining environmental education and sustainability promotion with all the excitement of raffles, games, giveaways, market stalls and fun for the whole family.

 Held as part of Laudato Si’ Week celebrations across the globe, the Expo highlighted teachings from Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, On Care for our Common Home, which identifies issues of pollution, climate change, loss of biodiversity, decline in the quality of human life and global inequality.

 St Joseph’s Principal Bernard Fitzgerald said the Expo was very much a response to Pope Francis’s call to care for our common home.

 “We invited our community to answer the call with us.” Mr Fitzgerald said.

 “It was wonderful to see all the smiles, laughter and attentiveness from students and their families as they engaged fully in the message and spirit of the day.”

 Mr Fitzgerald said Pope Francis’s encyclical appealed to all persons, no matter what religion, “for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet”.

“As a Catholic Earthcare School and Recycling Hero School, our St Joseph’s community has a strong focus on ecological awareness and sustainability. Through prayer and reflection we are guided in our actions to live out our call to be responsible stewards of God’s creation,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

 Meanwhile, Laudato Si’ Week at The Cathedral College, Rockhampton, centred around an Art and Photography Competition under the theme ‘Nature is the Art of God’.

Stunning sunsets, spectacular mountain ranges, towering trees, wondrous waterways and all creatures great and small showcased the hues, textures, harmony and masterful composition of Creation’s majestic beauty.

 Over 120 entries were received making it a tough task for judges to award winners and runners-up in each of the three categories – Junior Students, Senior Students and Staff.

 TCC Laudato Si’ Week concluded with the Environmental Committee and Indigenous student leaders joining together to plant shrubs around the College Yarning Circle, serving as an introduction to Reconciliation Week which commenced on May 27. 

Photo: Creating a buzz about sustainability are (from left) Year 1 Teachers Paula Roati and Michelle Hannah and Educational Support Officer Kylie Schoneveld with students at the St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Park Avenue 2022 Laudato Si Expo recently