“Look, I’ve found a dragon!”
Such was the excited cry of a little girl from inner-city Birmingham on netting a creature from the pond in the grounds of the Columban house in Solihull. Needless to say, what she had in her net was not a dragon – in fact, it was a rather less dramatic newt – but the look of wonder on her face was marvellous to behold!
The child was taking part in one of the regular ‘eco-retreats’ we run for schools and community groups in our recently re-wilded premises, where participants are invited to meet God in nature. To this end we have planted over six thousand native trees, seeded wild flowers, laid out a walkway and set up beehives with an observation window. The area is becoming a haven for all sorts of birds, mammals and insects.
During the retreats, participants reflect on how God has created the human race and has set it in such a beautiful world – our ‘common home’. We also draw on the experience of Columban missionaries in Pakistan, Fiji, Myanmar and the Philippines to illustrate the damage we are inflicting through pollution, deforestation and climate change and how this is impacting the lives of the poorest in society.
Our re-wilding project in Britain mirrors similar initiatives founded by Columban missionaries in other countries. We have long maintained an approach to mission that connects proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ with giving tangible evidence of His love by responding to the “one complex crisis” facing the world today “which is both social and environmental” (Laudato Si’ #139). Your support plays a vital part.
This Season of Creation, you can respond to the “cry of the earth” by making a donation to our 2026 September Appeal, which will support and encourage Columban missionaries around the world working with local communities to protect and restore our ‘common home’. Thank you!
While the poorest people affected by climate change are far from our shores, even in Britain the effects of extreme weather are increasing, and both local and global efforts to tackle this crisis are becoming ever more urgent. From 19-30th October 2026, a Columban delegation will participate in the UN Biodiversity summit (COP 17) in Armenia, joining faith networks to bear witness to the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss, and to call for real accountability for the commitments nations have made at previous summits. Please pray for all the participants.
Think how much it would please God if that delighted smile on the face of the child from a disadvantaged part of the West Midlands were repeated on faces wherever Columbans are present. This we can achieve, with your help.
Thank you, and may God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Boles
