"Faith and Nature Unite: Chicalim Parish Embraces Eco-Spirituality Retreat to Care for Creation"

Chicalim, Goa, October 3, 2025 – St. Francis Xavier Church, Chicalim, marked its quadricentennial celebrations with a meaningful three-day eco-spirituality retreat that brought together families, youth, and children to reflect on the theme “Discovering God’s Presence in Creation and Our Call to Care for Our Common Home.” The event combined prayer, dialogue, and testimony, inspiring participants to see environmental responsibility as an essential expression of faith.

Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’s encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, the retreat emphasised integral ecology and Christian stewardship. Fr. Bolmax Pereira, Convenor of the Diocesan Commission of Ecology, and Fr. Heston Ferrao, Secretary-Treasurer of the Commission, led reflections that highlighted the interconnectedness of faith, creation, and care for the marginalised. They urged the faithful to embrace changes such as reducing waste, conserving energy, planting trees, and protecting biodiversity as concrete acts of discipleship.

The programme also featured a panel of experts including activist Orville Rodrigues, architect Tallulah D’Silva, and waste management professional Godfrey Franklyn. Their experiences shed light on the urgent realities of environmental destruction, sustainable design, and the dangers of plastic pollution, making participants confront the practical choices tied to their values.

The retreat blended moments of deep prayer—including Marian devotion, the Rosary, and Eucharistic adoration—with powerful calls to action. Testimonies and discussions reminded parishioners that ecological care is inseparable from living their faith. “I came thinking this was only about the environment,” one participant reflected, “but I leave knowing this is also about my faith and how I live it daily.”

By Alisha Pereira

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