Faith Traditions come together to mark opening of Season of Creation

On Sunday, August 31st, St. Patrick’s Church in Belfast hosted an opening Mass on the eve of the World Day for the Care of Creation and the Season of Creation 2025. The Mass, led by Fr. Tom Layden, was a significant event that brought together people from various religious traditions to pray for creation.

Fr. Tom invited guests from different faiths to share their prayers and wishes. The prayers included:

A prayer from a Christian perspective, read by The Very Reverend Stephen Forde of St. Anne’s Belfast Cathedral, which called for “compassionate action” to end conflict and restore broken relationships with God, the community, the human family, and all creation.

An abridged dedication from the Tibetan Buddhist Faith, read by Jennie Davies, which included a prayer that all beings would have lives of “inconceivably long” duration, always be content, and be unfamiliar with the word death. It also prayed that “the rains of lava, blazing stones and weapons” would from then on become “a rain of flowers,” and that all “battling weapons” would become “a playful exchange of flowers”.

A prayer from the Baha’i Faith, read by Edwin Graham, which emphasized that humanity’s intelligence and talents should be used for the “betterment of the world”. The prayer highlighted that our spiritual life affects the environment and called for unity with people from diverse faiths to achieve greater results.

A prayer from Pope Francis, read by Anne Marie Duffy of the Down & Connor Laudato Si Group, which asked God to show people their place in the world as “channels of your love” and to enlighten those in power to avoid indifference and care for the common good.

In his homily, Fr. Tom referenced a recent lecture by Professor Janet Soskin who argued that there is an urgent need to correct how the teaching about Creation has been understood, as humanity has forgotten God the Creator, particularly since the late Middle Ages, by emphasizing redemption over creation. This has been noted by theologians such as Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) and Rowan Williams.

According to Professor Soskin, neglecting the doctrine of Creation has a damaging effect. The doctrine places human beings among all other creatures, preventing us from thinking we are not creatures ourselves. All creatures, from a person to a sparrow, are held in being by the Creator at every moment. If we forget Creation, we lose the sense that God is nearer to us than our own hands and feet. Professor Soskin concluded that we are called to treat the created world, mountains, rivers, seas and forests, with reverence and utmost respect. It is not to be exploited but to be honored as God’s handiwork, a place where we stand on holy ground. This is a central responsibility for humanity, one we know in the deepest desires of our hearts, and one that those who come after us deserve.

Fr. Tom concluded the prayer by thanking God for the diversity of peoples and the wonder of the world. He prayed for open hearts to peoples of all faiths who care for God’s work, bringing them together in love.

The occasion was marked by a profound sense of dignity and shared purpose. This coming together of different faiths was not merely a gesture but a powerful, common witness to the urgent call to care for creation. It was a beautiful reminder of the importance of different religious traditions sharing their riches and, in doing so, living out a shared humanity in the face of our world’s most pressing challenges.

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