Clergy Conference 2015

Let me extend my thanks to everyone who prayed for the priests during our conference last week. It was an experience of joy and togetherness among the august body of priest of the diocese. It helped us to bond ourselves as priests in service of the humanity.

The environment and ecology was the one of the main topics for the conference. We were encouraged by Dr Raquel Thomas Caesar from Iwokrama International Centre to talk about the ecological imbalance and its consequences in our parishes. She emphasised the importance of the rainforest in Guyana for the global climate benefit because rainforests contribute to the wellbeing of not only the humans but every creation of God. It is important to maintain the forest reserves such as, Iwokrama, Kanaku Mountains, Kaeiteur Park because they are the source of water spring. She expressed that even water reserves could be our source of income.

Heather Pinnock from Jamaica articulated robust global climate change and how it would affect the poorer people in the near future. Decline in the climate will result in many natural disasters, such as, water source will dry, health will collapse, degradation of food, and no access to infrastructure. Pinnock also expressed her concern like draught in the Caribbean including Guyana. Rise in the sea levels can engulf coastlands leaving people and animals homeless. There needs to be a serious, immediate and conscious effort to eradicate any forms of the activities that will result in climate change. She also expressed that the global heat has crossed its average limit making the ice glaciers to melt causing rise in sea levels. Priests expressed that this information was useful and it is due time now to protect our nature and its inhabitants. Bishop Francis invited the congregation during the closing Mass at the Cathedral to embrace this call and pay attention to the changed in the environment.

Let us pay attention to our environment, which has been desecrated beyond the limit. Holy Father has invited through “Laudato Si” to reflect on the environment, addressing it as ‘our sister’.