Amidst the spring wattles and native grasses at Huntly Streamside Reserve, the Diocese gathered for its annual Season of Creation Mass on Friday, 5 September. The outdoor celebration brought together parishioners, school communities and clergy to give thanks for God’s gift of creation, to embrace the call to care for our common home, and to share in symbolic gestures of hope for the future.

The celebration opened with a Welcome to Country by Troy Firebrace, who spoke about the deep connection of the Dja Dja Wurrung, the Traditional Owners, to the land and waterways of Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country), in which Bendigo now lies.

Fr Joe Taylor EV travelled from Shepparton to preside at the Mass, concelebrated by Fr Boniface Kamulegeya (White Hills) and Fr Rom Hayes.

In his homily, Fr Joe reflected on the many ways we can care for creation and grow in eco-spirituality. He encouraged those gathered to pause in nature and give thanks for its beauty, whether it be flowers, birds, or the quiet of a stream. He also spoke of actively caring for creation by looking after pets and wildlife, and of living more gently by reducing waste, recycling, and avoiding over-consumption.

After Mass, representatives from each parish and school were entrusted with a plant to take home and nurture in their community. This simple but powerful gesture was offered as a symbol of hope during the Church’s Pilgrimage Year of Hope; a reminder that just as we care for these young plants, so too are we called to nurture our planet and our spiritual growth.

Each community also received a candle marked with the words “Turn Debt into Hope.” Parishes and schools were given a candle to take home to their communities and invited to use the candle for a ‘Turn Debt into Hope’ relay, passing the flame from one to another as a sign of solidarity with the Caritas campaign.  The campaign calls  for the relief of unjust international debts so that developing nations can invest in health, education, and environmental care, turning the burden of debt into seeds of hope.

Gathered together under God’s sky, amidst the trees and wildflowers, the Season of Creation Mass once again reminded us that caring for our Common Home is a faithful response of love and gratitude to the Creator.

As said so simply, yet profoundly by students of St Liborius' Primary School, Eaglehawk,

“The weather was beautiful. It felt very calming out in nature and the Mass was lovely. I liked finishing off the day with some delicious sausages,” Elsie.

“It was great to be in nature; the weather was wonderful. It was very calming. I loved it because it made me happy and we connected with nature,” Ruby.

This was the third outdoor Mass for the Season of Creation, now an annual tradition for the Diocese. The day was made possible through the efforts of many: the Knights of the Southern Cross who assisted with marshalling; barbecue volunteers; Kerry Stone and the Care for Creation Team, who coordinated the event; school students and their teachers; and the many parishioners who came to pray together in the open air.

 Return to Sandpiper e-News 108 (29 September 2025)