St. Joseph’s parish at Ponkandam, near Mangalam Dam in Palakkad district, achieved yet another milestone on Sunday when the parishioners began their Lenten season by adopting green practices. St. Joseph’s is the first and only net-zero parish in the country.
Breaking the centuries-old custom of lighting the lamps, the Ponkandam parishioners started their Lenten prayers by watering plants in front of the church altar on Sunday.
“It is a bold and concrete step towards environmental conservation. This parish has become the first in India to incorporate green practices into Lenten observance. It is a model not only for the whole country, but for the whole world,” parish vicar Fr. Saji Vattukalathil told The Hindu.
While they watered the plants, instead of lighting the lamps, they sang the song “Lord, make your peace, to spread in the world” invoking St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint for environmental protection. “It was a prayer for the earth,” said Fr. Vattukalathil.
Leading the services, Fr. A.B. Joseph Ottakandathil underscored the importance of environmental protection as specified in Pope Francis’s widely discussed encyclical on Care for Our Common Home. “Environmental protection is also a prayer. Destruction of nature is a sin,” said Fr. Ottakandathil.
The parishioners took a pledge not only to abstain from certain foods and habits, but also to adopt some discernible green practices as part of their life during Lent. They will limit their energy consumption by reducing the use of lights, fans and airconditioners. Most things, including water, will be reused. Public transport will be encouraged.
“By abstaining from meat during Lent, the amount of methane reaching the atmosphere will be reflected in everyone’s carbon footprint,” said Fr. Vattukalathil. “We will limit the use of plastics and encourage cloth bags.”
In November last year, Ponkandam parish achieved carbon neutral status and became the first net-zero parish in the country. Houses in the parish were subjected to green auditing, and parishioners were given environmental education to take care of various aspects of their lives with an eye on emissions.
According to Fr. Vattukalathil, the per capita emission in St. Joseph’s parish was less than half of the national average per capita emission. “It’s an achievement,” he said.
Ponkandam parish achieved the milestone in the golden jubilee year of its establishment. The success story of Ponkandam is being vigorously flaunted by Palakkad diocese, exhorting other parishes to implement similar measures.
