White City parish presented with LiveSimply Award

Award ceremony at White City

Our Lady of Fatima Church in London's White City received CAFOD'S LiveSimply Award at a Sunday Mass in the parish on 16 April. It is the seventh parish in Westminster to achieve it. The award is given to Catholic parishes and schools in England and Wales which commit to live more simply and sustainably and to act in solidarity with the world's poor.

A wooden plaque, using sustainably sourced wood and produced by a CAFOD project in Cambodia supporting artisans living with disabilities, was presented by Tony Sheen, the CAFOD Community Participation Coordinator in Westminster. It was given to parish priest Fr Richard Nesbitt and Hilda McCafferty, the Justice and Peace contact. Tony thanked them for all they have been doing to respond to "the cry of the Earth and of the poor." Hilda McCafferty thanked Fr Richard, "who has inspired us immensely in our journey and without whom we would not have this award!"

Many activities in the parish earned the award. The space around the church, once fairly bare, has been transformed into a beautiful green oasis which is prized in a built-up area. The garden has been developed to increase biodiversity and parishioners help with the gardening. A water feature and composting bin have been installed. Benches made from recycled plastic are available for parishioners to sit in the garden, where one side has a Grotto and on the other a statue of St Francis with birds.

It is a Fairtrade Parish and Fairtrade products are displayed in the repository. Single use disposable plastic is banned on parish premises and eco-detergents must be used. Battery recycling is available. While the parish maintains support for communities in the global south - with volunteering, fundraising and awareness raising for CAFOD, Mary's Meals and linked parishes in Tanzania and Nigeria - the LiveSimply journey has led it to a commitment to the local community in White City. Weekly vegetarian meals are provided for the wider community, with 70-80 people of all faiths attending regularly. Surplus food is distributed in partnership with charities FoodCycle, Felix Project and City Harvest.

There is a weekly sale of second-hand clothes and an annual ethical fashion show is very popular with the young people of the parish, especially Confirmation Candidates who are involved in its organisation. Walking, cycling and car sharing are promoted. In fact, the parish organises free cycling, maintenance and safety awareness classes for people of all ages, as part of an initiative to encourage parishioners to reflect on their transport choices. There are regular 'Live Simply Challenges' in the parish newsletter and online to encourage consuming less and living more simply and sustainably.

Parishioners get involved in supporting on-line and local campaigns on environmental, trade justice and poverty issues. On 21 April a group of parishioners attended 'The Big One' service on the theme of 'faith against fossil fuels' and the pilgrimage march along the South Bank to Westminster which involved around 1,400 people of faith. These included Fr Richard Nesbitt and Hilda McCafferty. The parish hosted several Extinction Rebellion people who slept on the floor for the long weekend of campaigning on climate change. The parish will celebrate the annual Care for Creation month in September.

In the church, new stained-glass windows reflect the multi-cultural nature of the parish. In two collages, saints of colour - such as Josephine Bakhita, Martin de Porres and Andrew Kim Taegon - are honoured alongside Bernadette of Lourdes and Maximilian Kolbe. In 2021 the parish produced a book 'Rooting out Racism from our Parish,' with the desire to celebrate the diversity of the congregation and counter racism.

Hilda McCafferty said at the presentation Mass: "Committing to live simply, sustainably with creation, and in solidarity with those in poverty can help us deepen our relationship with God, ourselves and with one another. We as a Parish Community have been doing this and with the help of God will continue to do it."

LINKS:

Watch LiveSimply Presentation Award Mass - www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Q0QXtRljQ&t=4648s

LiveSimply Award - https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/LiveSimply-award