Welcome to our Season of Creation 2026 edition of ‘Vocation for Justice’.
We are invited to hear and respond to the “cry of the Earth” – and as I write this, the need couldn’t be clearer. In Britain we’re seeing record temperatures and out of control wildfires, with the threat of another heat wave on the way. Perversely, this happens in a context of rumours of new drilling for oil in the North Sea and signs of fracture in the political commitment to getting to ‘net zero’. This edition explores the Season of Creation theme of ‘Living Waters’ from multiple perspectives:
The article ‘Living Water: A Call to Renew Our Relationship with Creation’ from the Laudato Si’ Movement offers an introduction to this year’s Season of Creation theme.
Sr Inez fcJ’s article, ‘Faith as a Shield for Water on Merapi’, tells the story of a community in Central Java hearing and responding to the cry of the Earth in a context in which water is recognised to be far more than simply a resource; “It is a cosmic inseparable sibling.”
Rosemary Boissonneau is a climate justice activist and a student of ecotheology and scripture. Her article, ‘From Canada: Reflections on Water’, explores the theme of ‘Living Water’ with insights from Indigenous people of Canada.
‘What if Net-Zero is Zero-Sum?’ is an exploration of some of the different interests at play in conversations about ‘net zero’ from Dr Nicolete Burbach, Social and Environmental Justice Lead at the London Jesuit Centre. How should Catholics navigate the fact that “while we all have a stake in the planet, we do not have an equal stake, and this brings unequal incentives to protect it”?
Fr. Kurt Zio Pala, a Filipino Columban missionary in Myanmar, looks back at Laudato Si’ Week in his contribution, ‘Eating with Our Hands’. He tells the story of how his youth team decided to mark the week plastic free, and draws out learning about connection and presence, humility and simplicity, and community and sharing.
In her piece ‘Spiritual Foundations for Committed Action’, Jane Lavery, a volunteer member of Columban JPE team, explores what underpins her environmental actions.
Finally, continuing the ‘Vocation for Justice’ practice of inviting action, the ‘Resources and Action Ideas’ page highlights a new Columban hymn written for the Season of Creation, a course to help form ‘Christian Environmental Mobilisers’, and an event exploring what it means to “love your neighbour” in an age of ‘Us-Vs-Them’ – please share!
This is our second electronic edition of ‘Vocation for Justice’. Making a success of the new format will depend on growing the list of readers. Please share the materials, encouraging people to sign up to receive the newsletter electronically via the Columban website. We’d also be very grateful for feedback on the format and content. What works well? What would improve things? Please email me at education@columbans.co.uk.
Ellen Teague retirement
After 36 years of incredible service to Columban mission and loyal response to her own ‘vocation for justice’, Ellen Teague has recently retired. Regular readers will be aware of her many contributions, as a writer, journalist, speaker, active member of networks and groups, editor of ‘Vocation for Justice’, … – it would be impossible to summarise her work in these few sentences! Her prophetic and persistent sharing of justice issues, analysis and actions have undoubtedly planted many seeds, encouraged and formed many of us in our work, volunteering and faith, and led to so much fruit. Thank you, Ellen!
If anyone would like to send Ellen a message on her retirement, please do so via me (education@columbans.co.uk) as she has asked not to be contacted directly at the moment.