by Paul Kelly and Keith Pitcher
Almost every organisation nowadays, thank goodness, has sustainability on its agenda. And Leeds Diocese is no exception. With the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching behind us and Laudato Si’ bringing care of our common home into sharp focus 10 years ago, this should come as no surprise. But did you know sustainability is now an integral part of strategic thinking in the diocese and we have a dedicated Diocesan Laudato Si’ Sustainability Group to help focus its direction and its decision making?
Known by its abbreviation, the DLSSG came about after a group of parishioners from Settle met with Bishop Marcus over 4 years ago to explore what our mission to care for all aspects of creation might look like. Those pioneering parishioners became part of a Climate Action sub-group of the J&P Commission who Bishop Marcus put in contact with key members of the curial offices. The DLSSG was born.
The group meets regularly at Hinsley Hall under the chairmanship of Mgr Andrew Summersgill, moderator of the curia. Along with 3 representatives of the Climate Action group the DLSSG comprises the property manager, directors of finance, communications & education, Katie Clegg Head of Sustainability at Leeds Trinity University, and Carla Stockton-Jones newly appointed trustee with responsibility for sustainability.
The group’s purpose is to promote sustainability as a core spiritual and practical value across all aspects of our Christian life as diocese, parish, school and parishioner; to contribute towards strategic planning in the diocese; and to be available as a resource/source of help. As Pope Francis made clear in his encyclical Laudato Si’ the environment is the milieu in which our economy and society function; they are intimately connected and interdependent. The focus on sustainability ensures all three become central to our ethical decision making.
Some members of the present DLSSG helped to develop the Diocesan Environmental Policy and its strategic planning. Although signed off by the Bishop in 2020 the policy struggles to influence much of our everyday practice without the leadership and resourcing available to other, equally important, departments. Hence leadership has been a major focus of the group with agreement secured last year from the diocese to recruit a Head of Sustainability to complement the work of other directorates in the curia.
At present diocesan finances make it challenging to make any new appointments, yet a determined focus on sustainability would not only be God’s work but will save money and reduce greenhouse gases emissions through initiatives to slash energy use. It’s a real ‘catch-22’. The DLSSG is the key driver of bringing attention to and helping to resolve this dilemma.
The challenge too for all of us is how can our clergy, parishioners and schools be helped to understand and live this previously under-developed part of our Catholicity? What would help us to learn, pray, preach, guide, work together and act?
Pope Leo XIV affirmed its importance this autumn:
Tel: 0113 2618029 Ext: 229
Email: Jacqui.atkinson@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
Please do get in touch if you would like more information, can help the work of the group or need support towards making our homes, parishes, schools and diocese more sustainable in line with God’s kingdom.
Almost every organisation nowadays, thank goodness, has sustainability on its agenda. And Leeds Diocese is no exception. With the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching behind us and Laudato Si’ bringing care of our common home into sharp focus 10 years ago, this should come as no surprise. But did you know sustainability is now an integral part of strategic thinking in the diocese and we have a dedicated Diocesan Laudato Si’ Sustainability Group to help focus its direction and its decision making?
Known by its abbreviation, the DLSSG came about after a group of parishioners from Settle met with Bishop Marcus over 4 years ago to explore what our mission to care for all aspects of creation might look like. Those pioneering parishioners became part of a Climate Action sub-group of the J&P Commission who Bishop Marcus put in contact with key members of the curial offices. The DLSSG was born.
The group meets regularly at Hinsley Hall under the chairmanship of Mgr Andrew Summersgill, moderator of the curia. Along with 3 representatives of the Climate Action group the DLSSG comprises the property manager, directors of finance, communications & education, Katie Clegg Head of Sustainability at Leeds Trinity University, and Carla Stockton-Jones newly appointed trustee with responsibility for sustainability.
The group’s purpose is to promote sustainability as a core spiritual and practical value across all aspects of our Christian life as diocese, parish, school and parishioner; to contribute towards strategic planning in the diocese; and to be available as a resource/source of help. As Pope Francis made clear in his encyclical Laudato Si’ the environment is the milieu in which our economy and society function; they are intimately connected and interdependent. The focus on sustainability ensures all three become central to our ethical decision making.Some members of the present DLSSG helped to develop the Diocesan Environmental Policy and its strategic planning. Although signed off by the Bishop in 2020 the policy struggles to influence much of our everyday practice without the leadership and resourcing available to other, equally important, departments. Hence leadership has been a major focus of the group with agreement secured last year from the diocese to recruit a Head of Sustainability to complement the work of other directorates in the curia.
At present diocesan finances make it challenging to make any new appointments, yet a determined focus on sustainability would not only be God’s work but will save money and reduce greenhouse gases emissions through initiatives to slash energy use. It’s a real ‘catch-22’. The DLSSG is the key driver of bringing attention to and helping to resolve this dilemma.
The challenge too for all of us is how can our clergy, parishioners and schools be helped to understand and live this previously under-developed part of our Catholicity? What would help us to learn, pray, preach, guide, work together and act?
Pope Leo XIV affirmed its importance this autumn:
“We cannot call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ without participating in his outlook on creation and his care for all that is fragile and wounded.”The contact for DLSSG is Jacqui Atkinson, administrator at Hinsley Hall
(Address 1st Oct 2025 to participants in the "Raising Hope" conference on the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’.)
Tel: 0113 2618029 Ext: 229
Email: Jacqui.atkinson@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
Please do get in touch if you would like more information, can help the work of the group or need support towards making our homes, parishes, schools and diocese more sustainable in line with God’s kingdom.
We really appreciate all the efforts made by clergy and administrative staff, the mass welcomers and parish teams responsible for our parish participation in this year’s Season of Creation. We are happy to share our experiences with other parishes on their LiveSimply journey.
In addition, on Sunday 5th October we held our annual Celebration of Hospitality and Belonging at St Paul’s after the 10am mass. This again proved to be a very happy and joyous occasion, sharing food and conviviality, whilst celebrating the qualities of warmth, community and inclusion.
Excitement built after Mass as parishioners had been invited to bring their pets for a special blessing in the parish grounds. Instead, because of the inclement weather, the parish centre offered welcome shelter, becoming the happy focal point where very well behaved dogs, plus a very young kitten, gathered round Fr Henry to the delight of their families. Fr Henry read St Francis’ Canticle to Creation before blessing all the animals, including all those gathered - the two legged variety!
The parish CAFOD/LiveSimply group had planned a reflective pilgrimage walk around the parish allotment as a significant part of this special day, but instead produce from the allotment was brought into the church. As we prayed the opening prayer, we were encouraged to be mindful of people who have to leave their homes because of drought, floods, famine, conflict, and climate change.
As well as giving thanks for the manifold gifts of creation, the liturgy focused on the call to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with people who are poor. The first ‘station’ celebrated the parish receiving the Livesimply award before moving to a wheelbarrow full of vegetables from the allotment for the second station. The third station was at the baptismal font, its flowing water reminding us not to take for granted the gift of fresh water.
St Benedict’s primary school had also brought their harvest donations to demonstrate their commitment to give thanks by sharing their gifts. These gifts of food will be given to the St Vincent’s Centre. The children present also had their own quiz enabling them them to explore and discover the different produce from the allotment spread around the church. Afterwards children were invited to colour a leaf and write a prayer of thanks for the hard work of the parish allotment group.
We were pleased to be able to welcome small group of lay Franciscans who had joined us to celebrate the saint’s feast day. They followed a long-held tradition of displaying a Franciscan habit surrounded by candles and explained how St Francis wanted to free himself of all attachments.
We ended the mini-pilgrimage at the Creation windows where we were invited to reflect for a moment before gathering again in the parish centre to share friendship and a simple meal of soup and bread. As well as the buzz of conversation there was a quiz that highlighted facts about climate change and people were offered a summary sheet of the key points from Laudato Si. We hope that our mini pilgrimage will encourage us all to reflect and act, as individuals and as a communities, to help reverse the effects of climate change.
To learn more about becoming a LiveSimply parish follow the link below:
The family of swans that Paul and I saw on our first visit were still there – and it was good to see them in a canal that looked as though a barge could travel along it. Despite the rain there were lots of conversations as we walked along and it seemed that in no time at all we were leaving the canal and crossing the Leeds and Bradford road to get our first glimpse of the abbey.
Once in the abbey we headed to the church and gathered in the vicinity of where the high altar would have been. We were joined at the abbey by a few more people who had been unable to make the walk itself. We held a short prayer service before retiring to the café for a hot drink before setting off on our homeward journeys.
There they are receiving the professional horticultural care that they need until they are mature enough to plant out (which is usually about 3 years)
