West Kootenay churches and faith groups will ring bells, chimes, shofars and gongs, sing songs, and offer prayers to celebrate the recent release of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si (Praise Be), demanding climate action on Sunday, June 28.

The West Kootenay participation in this global climate chorus will be in solidarity with Catholics, people of diverse faiths, and people of goodwill who will march from Piazza Farnese in Rome to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City to celebrate how passionately faith communities care about climate change, also on June 28.

Media are invited to attend the events at the following locations:

Nelson

WHO: the Kootenay Shambhala Meditation Centre
WHAT: Reciting the Heart Sutra in front of the building – 108 recitations, 108 gongs
WHEN: June 28 at noon
WHERE: 812 Stanley St

WHO: Nelson United Church
WHAT: Bell ringing
WHEN: June 28 at noon
WHERE: 602 Silica St

WHO: St. Saviour’s Anglican Church
WHAT: Singing on the church steps
WHEN: June 28 at noon
WHERE: Corner of Ward & Silica Streets

Castlegar

WHO: Castlegar United Church
WHAT: Church service and bell ringing
WHEN: June 28 at 10am
WHERE: 809 Merry Creek Rd

WHO: St. David’s Anglican Church
WHAT: Singing bowl in church yard and prayers
WHEN: June 28 at 11am
WHERE: 614 Christina Pl

Rossland

WHO: Sacred Heart Parish Rossland
WHAT: Bell ringing and prayer
WHEN: June 28 at noon
WHERE: 2396 Columbia Ave

Trail

WHO: Communities in Faith Pastoral Charge: Joint service for St. Andrew’s United Church, Rossland and Trail United Church
WHAT: Prayer
WHEN: June 28 at 10am
WHERE: 1300 Pine Ave

Fruitvale

WHO: Beaver Valley United Church
WHAT: Prayer
WHEN: June 28 at 9am
WHERE: 1917 Columbia Ave

Contact Information

Nelson

Miles Parker, Director
Kootenay Shambhala Meditation Centre
milesparker@gmail.com
(250) 352-0631

David Boyd, Minister
Nelson United Church
davidboyd@nelsonunitedchurch.ca
250-352-2822

Julia M. Roberts, Volunteer
St. Saviour’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral
robertsenvr@shaw.ca
250-354-7004

Castlegar

Rev. Greg Powell, Minister
Castlegar United Church
office@castlegarunited.ca
250-304-9316

Rev. Elizabeth Huether
St. David’s Anglican Church
Rev1stdvhp@gmail.com
250-365-2271

Rossland

Mike Bourchier, Parish representative
Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, Sacred Heart Parish, Rossland
jbourchi@telus.net
250-362-5093

Trail

Rev. Michael Hare, Minister
Communities in Faith Pastoral Charge
Serving Rossland, Salmo, Beaver Valley and Trail
cifmin1@telus.net
250-368-5411

Fruitvale

Shirley Racette
Beaver Valley United Church
250-367-9088

EcoSociety

Montana Burgess, Community Organizer
West Kootenay EcoSociety
Montana@ecosociety.ca
(t)250-354-1909 (m) 250-509-0184

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