On a cold and rainy day, more than 120 people gathered at a small rural parish for a powerful expression of faith, hope, and care for creation.
The day began with a bilingual Mass for the Third Sunday of Easter, celebrated in English and French by Archbishop Marcel Damphousse. Throughout the liturgy, prayers and hymns (many led by young people) reflected a shared commitment to care for our common home and to respond with compassion and justice to the needs of others. Following Mass, participants moved outdoors for a prayerful and symbolic water procession.
At the center of the gathering was water with a remarkable story. Agnes Richard, Laudato Si’ Movement leader in Canada, carried 20,000-year-old glacial water from Greenland, blessed by Pope Leo XIV at the Raising Hope for Climate Justice Conference in Rome. This water had been combined with waters from every continent (Timor Leste, Ireland, Zambia, Brazil, and Mexico) forming a “Bowl of Tears,” a global sign of both suffering and hope.
As the procession began, Richard reflected on the deeper meaning of the moment:
“All the water of the world is in constant motion, flowing in connected continuity through time and across the planet. The work of the Holy Spirit is like this water. It connects our hearts and minds to all life. Everyone, everywhere, past, present, and future.”
Her words captured the spirit of the gathering, one rooted in connection, responsibility, and faith in action.
The outdoor ceremony brought together Catholic liturgy and Indigenous spirituality in a meaningful way. Mohawk leader Rose-Alma McDonald led prayers to the four directions and offered a Thanksgiving Prayer to Mother Earth, along with a teaching on water as the lifeblood of creation. Fr. Hasina Rakotoarisoa, trained and welcomed by Indigenous spiritual leaders, led a smudging ceremony for all in attendance.
In a powerful gesture of unity, a line of 20 women who are longtime advocates for ecology within the Christian community passed the blessed water hand to hand until it reached the riverbank. There, Valeria Clavijo, a young leader with the Laudato Si’ Movement in Canada, poured the water into the St. Lawrence River.
Archbishop Damphousse then offered a prayer for the health of the river and for all who depend on and care for it.
Participants left with simple but meaningful commitments: to reduce waste, avoid single-use plastics, and advocate for access to clean water for all. At the reception that followed, many expressed gratitude for a gathering that brought together prayer and action, tradition and unity, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Like the water that flowed from hand to hand and into the river, the call to care for our common home continues moving through each of us, connecting us, and inviting us to act.
