Ely and Rochester Cathedrals have lit up green and Bradford Cathedral has just launched a four day online environmental festival to mark national Recycle Week and show their commitment to safeguarding creation.
Lighting up green and an eco festival – cathedrals mark national recycle week in Creationtide
It is the first time Ely and Rochester have lit up their towers green and they joined other well-known landmarks shining a light on recycling and the environment, including the London Eye and Blackpool Tower.
Bradford Cathedral is building on the success of its first Eco festival last year to bring a four day Eco-Extravaganza that explores the question What on Earth are we going to do through a range of live events, pre-recorded videos and a special Harvest Festival service.
The four-day online festival runs from Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th September 2020 with live daily keynote speakers including Dr Ruth Valerio, the Revd Ruth Newton and the Green Christian, with musical performance by Ben Comeau, a London-based pianist, composer and organist, active in classical music, jazz and more, whose recent work explores the possible roles that music can play in environmentalism.
Other events and videos feature local eco initiatives from going plastic free to planting woodlands and creating insect homes. You can find the programme here.
This year’s Recycle Week theme, ‘Thanking the nation: Together – We Recycle’, looks to thank recycling and waste key workers who have carried on during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as acknowledge residents for their support and continued recycling efforts.
Ely Cathedral held an Environmental Vigil to mark the start of Recycle Week and the Revd Dr Jenny Gage, Minister for Social Justice at Ely Cathedral, urged everyone to commit to recycle, reuse and reduce.
She said:
“Ely Cathedral is committed to safeguard the integrity of creation and renew the life on earth.
“We believe that working in collaboration will help us achieve this as well as raise awareness.
“The local council, the Cathedral and other influential organisations and businesses must come together to help sustain the earth.
“By using the world’s resources as if they are infinite, we are dishonouring God and his creation.
More about Creationtide on the Church of England website here.
