Pictured at the launch of the Clogher Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Group in Enniskillen were: front row (left to right) Ann Molloy, Neville Armstrong, Fr Joe McVeigh, Patricia McKeever, Bishop Liam MacDaid (who launched the Group), Andrea McManus and Sr Mary Kate Hagan. Back row: Sr Nellie McLaughlin, Paddy Gilgunn, Liam Murtagh and Dermot McCarron.

The Clogher Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Group is a new diocesan based group that aims to highlight issues of social injustice at home and abroad and undertake or support local responses. In launching the Group, Bishop Liam McDaid said that he believed that the Group will “help all of us in this beautiful part of our world to be more aware of our responsibilities with regard to justice and human rights and the protection of Creation”.

The formation of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Groups in each diocese is being encouraged by Catholic bishops nationally. Members of Clogher Group come from Counties Monaghan, Fermanagh and Donegal. The Chairperson is Patricia McKeever and the Secretary of the Group is Neville Armstrong. The Group was convened by Fr Joe McVeigh and support in its development was provided by Roisin O’Hara of Trocaire. The launch on Thursday, 3 September took

place at the premises of Waterways Ireland in Enniskillen and was very well attended. Among the various speakers was Dean Kenny Hall of the Church of Ireland, who in his address wished the initiative well, saying that its objectives are ones that are shared by all Christian churches.

The Group will focus initially on the issue of climate justice and also on the homelessness issue. In his address Bishop McDaid referred to the current refugee crisis. “We have all been shocked and moved to seek appropriate action when we are brought face to face with the plight of refugees in different parts of our world…. We realise that we all need to be disposed to search ourselves and to urge our governments to search for the causes of this distress and to take whatever steps are necessary to create a situation in our world where the gifts of creation are shared in such a way that justice can be seen in action and we never witness the horror of a mother and child found washed up dead on a shoreline trying to escape from a situation which should not exist”.

The Clogher Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Group plans to develop initiatives that will involve parish groups and, in particular, younger people throughout the diocese. For further information on the Group, email clogherjpic@gmail.com