For many years St Kilian’s parishioner, Lyn Byrne, had walked her dog behind the tall brick wall at the back of St Kilian’s Church grounds imagining, “a beautiful monastic garden within,” only to be disappointed when she eventually dared look inside the space to see “an empty paddock presided over by a magnificent statue of Jesus.”

Fast forward to today and the paddock behind the wall is buzzing with bees and excited people who have gathered in their much-loved Community Garden for the blessing of their new pergola and the launch of their Parish Earthcare Action Plan.

With the support of volunteers, grants, and a shared vision, over the last two years the garden has become a place of growth, for plants and people, providing fresh produce for those in need and fostering a deeper connection to nature and faith.

Addressing the crowd, Parish Priest Fr Junray Rayna, shared his experience of the Garden as a relaxed and welcoming place where he can better get to know parishioners. “A well-tended garden is like hospitality,” he said. “It’s a place where we encounter the work of human hands and the work of Creation.”

Before blessing the pergola, Bishop Shane spoke of the merits of a community garden as a place to be nourished. “It’s a great reminder that when we care for the earth, our common home, we make a better place for people … it’s not just about caring for creation, it's about making an inviting and nourishing place for us to thrive … That’s the point of Pope Francis calling the Earth our ‘common home,” said Bishop Shane, referring to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’, which calls us to “care for our common home” which we share with others, with all creatures and with those who will come after us.

In response to Pope Francis’ call, many initiatives have been born, including the Global Laudato Si’ Action Platform and Caritas Australia’s Catholic Earthcare which assist organisations and even families to work towards the seven Laudato Si’ Goals.

St Kilan’s Parish committed to being a Catholic Earthcare Parish in May 2022. Since then, the Parish Earthcare Group has embarked on many initiatives, the Community Garden being one of them.

In February 2023, a group of willing workers armed with tape measures, stakes, string, and the beautiful design by Lyne Byrne, marked out four pathways, leading to the statue of Jesus at the centre; a cross in the garden.

Two years later, the garden is a place of abundance. Volunteers work using organic gardening techniques to grow vegetables for people in need; many kilos of vegetables have been given to Bendigo FoodShare; the parish kitchen uses produce from the garden; and the church altar is adorned with foliage and flowers from the garden.

The garden is a place of growth providing opportunities to participate and even heal. Migrants from TAFE English classes, for example, have volunteered in the garden as a means to engage with their local community in ways that are somewhat familiar to them, and for students at St Kilian’s school, the garden is a living classroom with a dose of Vitamin N (N for nature).

Lyn explained:

“The garden provides hands-on community involvement and participation. There is a great satisfaction and wellbeing to be gained from working together in this garden … All generations are enjoying the fun, excitement and joy. As they prepare for Eucharist, Grade 3 students have been actively involved, lighting up their interest in God’s gifts from nature, and being taught the importance of natural food and its influence on their health.”

Catholic Earthcare Parish

Launching the St Kilian’s Earthcare Action Plan, parishioner and Earthcare Group member, Marie Bonne, shared ways the parish is responding to the call to Care for our Common Home:

Parts of the church grounds will be revegetated with indigenous plants to attract insects, reptiles and birds, and a water-wise garden will be established to showcase gardening possibilities in arid climates. The parish will continue to use a ‘share table’ for parishioners to donate food from their gardens; the Ethical Easter market will be a permanent fixture in the St Kilian’s calendar of events; the Community Garden will continue to support Foodshare and be a place of outreach and welcome.

Initially the garden was made possible with grants from the City of Greater Bendigo, which donated funds to build eight wicking beds and a Highways and Byways grant to create six raised beds built by students from the Doxa school and filled with vegetable grade soil. As Lyn Byrne reminded us in her speech, “It takes a community to make a community garden.” Noting many volunteers who gladly gave their time, or donated money, tools or plants. “These volunteers are the backbone of this garden,” said Lyn.

The pergola was made possible with funds donated by parishioner Pat Sheehan, and parishioners with the support of Sandhurst Solidarity Funds donated their time to lay the crushed gravel floor, build seats and complete the job with a sail cloth for shade, which will eventually be replaced by a deciduous vine.

The St Kilian’s Community Garden serves as a legacy of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, embodying his call to integrate spiritual ecology with environmental care. By nurturing the land and working together in service to others, the garden reflects the principles of the seven Laudato Si’ goals, fostering ecological responsibility, social inclusion, and community wellbeing. It is a place where the parish can live out its commitment to both creation and community, creating not only physical nourishment but spiritual growth. This initiative invites us to care for the earth as a shared gift, building a more sustainable and just future for All.