LIVE SIMPLY

 LIVE SIMPLY - FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT WINE TASTING:

📅 Date: 19 September 2026: 10:00-4:00pm

📍 St Mary's Parish Hall

Have you ever tried Fairtrade wines?  During Fairtrade Fortnight, come and sample some Fairtrade wines, both red and white, in St Mary’s parish hall on Saturday 26 September 2026 at 7:30pm and learn more about the importance of Fairtrade products.  Tickets are £10 and on sale after Mass at Holy Family, St Mark’s and St Mary’s on Saturdays and Sundays 5-6 and also 12-13 September (if there are any left). 

Light nibbles are included - but please eat first!

JUBILEE GARDEN PROJECT.

As we approach the Season of Creation, the Ecological Conversion Group invites parishes, schools and individuals to get involved in the Jubilee Garden Project, in partnership with The God Who Speaks. The project encourages us to use physical space to heal, transform and renew our relationship with God and the earth.

Launch Webinar: – Tuesday 1 September, 8.00pm
Join the online launch of the Jubilee Garden Project. All are welcome.
Register:https://jubileegarden.org/launch/

Preparing the Ground – Thursday 10 September, 1.00pm or 7.00pm
Two online sessions exploring what a Jubilee Garden could look like in a parish, home, religious community or school setting.
Register:https://jubileegarden.org/workingparty/

LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 16.8.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others.

• The theme for this year’s International Youth Day is

  ‘Different Contexts, Common Aspirations’

  This recognises that young people everywhere share common aspirations. It focuses on how to empower young people in least developed countries who face disproportionate challenges from economic constraints and climate change: https://social.desa.un.org/issues/youth/events/international-youth-day-2026

  *What can we do locally in our work life to provide young people with opportunities?

  *Is there more we can be doing to live sustainably and to promote climate resilience e.g. turning taps off after washing hands especially in the Parish Hall!

 LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 9.8.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others.

• International Youth Day- August 12

  This year’s theme is ‘Different Contexts, Common Aspirations’

  This recognises that young people everywhere share common aspirations. It focuses on how to empower young people in least developed countries who face disproportionate challenges from economic constraints and climate change. For more information visit https://social.desa.un.org/issues/youth/events/international-youth-day-2026

  *What can we do locally in our work life to provide young people with opportunities?

  *Is there more we can be doing to live sustainably and to promote climate resilience?

 LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 2.8.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others.

• As many people are on holiday or enjoying days out, we give thanks for these special times together and the gift of creation: 

  Thank you for the simple pleasures of time spent together.

  Thank you for time to enjoy the beauty of creation all around us.

  Thank you for fun times lifting everyone’s spirits.

  Thank you for the strength to juggle work and childcare.

  Thank you for not expecting perfection. 

  Thank you for time to relax to recharge.

 LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 26.7.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others.

World Nature Conservation Day is observed annually on July 28 including 2026.

The aim is to promote sustainable practises and the protection of natural resources. There are lots of ways that you can participate in conservation

• reduce your carbon footprint
• support conservation organisations
• help raise awareness and educate others about endangered species and sustainable living
• and think about our own personal responsible consumption

Check out how you can reduce, reuse and recycle to limit waste:

• https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/recycling-knowsley
• https://www.//liverpool.gov.uk/bins-and-recycing/   (Please note that since April 2026 Liverpool City council have increased the scope of items that can be recylced.

LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 19.7.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others.

St Ignatius of Loyola and solidarity with the marginalised

July is treated as ‘the month of St Ignatius of Loyola’ by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), ending with his Feast Day on July 31. A key part of his teaching is on solidarity with the poor, the marginalised, the voiceless. He wrote 'If our Church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, the hungry, we are guilty of heresy'.

Rather than simply viewing the marginalised of our world as receivers of charity, Ignatian spirituality asserts that Jesus is physically and spiritually found on the margins, meaning that we must 'walk' with the poorest, the most oppressed in order to truly get to know Christ.

This requires more than just putting a few pounds in the collection basket, or saying a few prayers, important as these are. It means playing our part in the struggle for social justice and in working to make the world a better place for all of us. To honour St Ignatius this July, let each of us, as individuals and collectively, seek to love God and our neighbour by looking for some way in which we can bring about change where we live.

 LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 12.7.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others.

 Sea ice serves as the earth's 'air conditioner'. It reflects sunlight away from our planet and regulates the global climate. As well as this, it provides a vital hunting ground for polar bears, supports marine life ranging from algae to beluga whales and acts as a highway for northern indigenous communities. It's important!

The Arctic is warming up much faster than the rest of the world and we need action to put the brakes on this trend. ‘Arctic Sea Ice Day’ is intended to highlight this crucial part of our world, and what needs to be done to save and protect it. Check out the 'Arctic Sea Ice Day Toolkit', by simply typing that phrase into your search engine, and find out more. Remember, we only have this Planet; there is no Plan B.

 LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 5.7.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others. 

‘This month is Plastic Free July’ when we are encouraged to reflect on our use of plastic, particularly single-use plastics. When plastic particles, collected from pristine Antarctic waters, were visible under a microscope the scale of plastic pollution was brought home. We don’t have to travel far to witness this ourselves: in soil, on grass verges and in rivers and seas. Plastic degrades very slowly in the environment, in many cases taking hundreds of years.

Plastic Free July – Be Part of the Plastic Pollution Solution

This month we can try to limit our use of plastic: perhaps buy a water bottle, a reusable coffee cup, or a nice tote bag, or resolve to buy loose produce whenever possible.

 LIVESIMPLY MESSAGE 28.6.26

We aim to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with others. 

The Pope’s Prayer Intention for July is respect for Human Life. This is also at the heart of the LiveSimply message which endorses an aim to live in solidarity with our global family, particularly those living in poverty. Pope Francis introduced the concept of ‘Integral Ecology’ in Laudato Si’. This invites us to see damage to the environment and social and economic systems as interrelated.

As Pope Benedict wrote: ‘every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms the environment’.

We are called to contribute to a future where both the well-being of the environment and humanity

are prioritised, with human dignity at its core.

During this month can we try each day to pray with Pope Leo for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.