Catholics for a Changing Church would like to thank the Scotting Laity Network for arranging and hosting this excellent four week course.   This session was particularly good and is well worth watching in order to help us through these times.

The Scottish Laity Network say:

Our Session of Creation Programme focusses on ‘Listening and Responding to the Voice of the Earth and the Voice of the Poor’.

Chris Johnstone was our companion for our final evening and he shared on ‘Sustaining us on our journey’.

It was a wonderful opportunity hear about, and engage with, the empowering and transformational process that is Active Hope.

With a background in medicine, psychology, group-work and coaching, Chris is a specialist trainer for resilience and wellbeing. He has worked in this field for over thirty years, and through his online courses, he now reaches people from more than 55 countries. After working for many years as a doctor and addictions specialist in the UK health service, he now focuses on coaching, mentoring, writing and training, particularly through online courses at the College of Wellbeing

His books include, Active Hope, co-authored with Joanna Macy, which has just been updated and republished. The website Active Hope gives a flavour of the approach of Active Hope, and you can download a free pdf taster of the book from the website.

Chris is also a keen musician, known for his hammered dulcimer and harmonica playing. He lives in the north-east of Scotland, where he is an enthusiast for forest gardening and a keen grower of fruit.

On 15 September the Scottish Laity Network invited us to join them for:

The Reality of Climate Change in Malawi.

with Chimwemwe Nyambose Ndhlovu

Chimwemwe Nyambose Ndhlovu covered a wide range of areas in her presentation and it was a wonderful opportunity to listen to a voice from the Global South.

During her presentation Chimwemwe shared the following short videos:

Tropical Storm Ana

Meaning of Loss and Damage in Malawi - Agatha’s Story

She also mentioned the SCIAF | Virtual Visit video about SCIAF’s joint project with Trocaire looking at Loss and Damage in TA Mwambo, Zomba.

Our current programme is based on one of the Conclusions, Next Steps and Recommendations from our Synodal Submission:-

The Mission of the Followers of Jesus

Throughout our journey we have sought to discern what it means to be followers of Jesus in the world of today through Listening and Responding to the Cry of the Poor, the Cry of the Oppressed and all who are forced to the margins of society and the Cry of the Earth.

We recommend:

1) The Church prioritises encountering and listening to the poor and oppressed - within their community, within their nation and globally.

2) Based on this authentic listening the Church commits itself to working with the poor and oppressed and with all women and men of good will, of all faiths and none, to alleviate the effects of poverty and the structures that cause it.

3) The Church supports and fully engages with those, who are providing clear evidence of the climate catastrophe effecting our planet and everyone and everything that lives on it.

4) All Dioceses commit to ensuring that parishioners are aware of Church Teaching in relation to the Climate Emergency and the need for us, especially those living in countries that are contributing most to climate change, to change our lifestyle and to demand our governments take the radical steps needed to establish a just and sustainable economy.

We invite you to read our Synodal Submission 

On 8 September, the Scottish Laity Network invited us to join them for:

Fossil fuel divestment and investment in clean energy: Tackling the climate, conflict and cost of living crises' 

with James Buchanan

Our Session of Creation Programme focusses on Listening and Responding to the Voice of the Earth and the Voice of the Poor.

James Buchanan was our companion for our second evening and he shared on Fossil fuel divestment and investment in clean energy: Tackling the climate, conflict and cost of living crises'

James joined Operation Noah as their Bright Now Campaign Manager in 2016 and became Bright Now Campaign Director in 2022. He leads the Bright Now campaign, which calls on Churches to divest from fossil fuels and invest in climate solutions like renewable energy. The campaign also encourages Churches to manage their land more sustainably, from increasing tree coverage to protecting and restoring peatlands. He previously worked for the Church of England as Project Coordinator of the Pilgrimage2Paris ahead of the UN climate talks in 2015. He has also worked for Christian Aid and CAFOD.

During our session with James he mentioned some campaigns and resources and here are the links

• Next Global divestment announcement on 2 November 2022:
• Catholic Impact Investing Pledge:
• Diocese of Truro investment in climate solutions:
• Warm this Winter campaign:
• bank.green - find out if your bank invests in fossil fuels:
• ECCR';Money Makes Change
• ShareAction - Use your pension power

'Our Common Home ~ Privilege and Responsibility'

with Nellie McLaughlin

It was very good to join the Scottish Laity Network on Thursday evening for their Zoom presentation. 

In the presentation Nellie refers to Brian Billston's poem, Refugees, It is a reversal poem about the refugees crisis with two different perspectives, read by Jason.

Our Session of Creation Programme focussed on Listening and Responding to the Voice of the Earth and the Voice of the Poor.

Nellie McLaughlin was our companion for our first evening and shared on 'Our Common Home ~ Privilege and Responsibility'

Nellie is a member of The Sisters of Mercy, Ireland. Born in Donegal, she grew up on a farm near the sea, that immersion in nature led her to grow up with a deep sense that we are all part of the great community of life. Working in education for 6 years in Iceland opened a whole new landscape and perspective on planet earth. This together with subsequent prolonged experience of living through the critical years of the Troubles in N. Ireland leading to the Good Friday Agreement marked a turning point. In a deeply divided community what is it that connects us? Our Common Home! The journey of discovery led to the new evolving story of the universe and her commitment to Cosmology, Ecology and Sustainable Living as we face the multiple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and consequent global injustices and oppressions.

Nellie is a co-founder and a director of The Green Sod Land Trust (2007) and current chairperson of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation – an ecumenical group in Clogher Diocese with parishes in both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

For the Full Programme