A leading Columban missionary priest and eco-theologian is to take part in a conference in Letterkenny to celebrate UN World Environment Day.
Environmental specialist Fr Sean McDonagh is to facilitate the conference at the Regional Cultural Centre on Sunday June 12th.
Fr McDonagh began his work on environmental justice in the 1970s while working with the indigenous T’boli people on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and since then he’s attended most of the UN meetings on climate change and protecting biodiversity.
It was also during this time that his understanding of environmental issues and the relationship between faith, justice and ecology took hold.
He strongly advocates that environmental justice must be a core Catholic activity.
Fr. McDonagh is the author of numerous articles and nine books including Climate Change: The Challenge to All of Us, Greening the Christian Millennium, Care for the Earth and Dying for Water.
He is a consultant to the General Council of the Columban Fathers on ecology and environment and a frequent guest lecturer at the Pacific Institute, Sydney, Australia.
He also contributed as a consultant to the writing of Pope Francis’ encyclical document- Laudato si’, (On Care for Our Common Home) the second encyclical of Pope Francis. The the new appeal from Pope Francis called on “every person living on this planet” for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of the planet.
UN WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY, Regional Cultural Centre, June 12th, 6pm-8pm.
