Castlegar Anglican and United churches have teamed up with the West Kootenay EcoSociety to launch a six-week study of the Pope’s recent encyclical on climate action, Laudato Si, beginning September 8 at 7:30pm at the Castlegar United Church.
The discussion and action group will study the six-chapter encyclical, which was released in June, one chapter per week. The group is open to any community member interested in the encyclical and taking action in our community to prevent the climate crisis.
“The encyclical explains that we need to work to protect our common home, this earth, and that this is our moral obligation,” said Elizabeth Huether, Minister of St. David’s Anglican Church. “The Castlegar community cares deeply about our common home, and I’m excited to come together with our community and work out how we can do our fair share locally.”
“Many in our community are concerned about the climate crisis but aren’t sure how to have an influence,” said Greg Powell, Castlegar United Church Minister. “They are concerned about health consequences of even more forest fires and they are concerned about the injustice of food shortages in the parts of the world that are least responsible for the crisis now upon us. This discussion and action group will identify actions we can take as a community to avert catastrophe and live abundant lives.”
“I think the timing of this group is right on,” said Montana Burgess, Community Organizer with the West Kootenay EcoSociety. “With this summer’s extreme weather events, drought and hot weather, forest fires and wind storms, folks are making the link between the climate crisis and how it is affecting us and will continue to affect us locally.” Burgess continued, “It’s not too late to prevent the worst of it, as long as we take action now, in our communities.”