February 1st is known as La Fheile Bride in Ireland or Saint Brigid’s Day. Brigid is one of our most beloved congregational patron saints.
This year, Into Kildare, the Tourism Board for County Kildare and Solas Bhríde Spirituality Centre & Hermitages have jointly launched a global ‘Pause for Peace’ movement. Pause for Peace will see the residents of County Kildare (Ireland) calling on people all around the world to stop for a minute’s silence at 12.00 noon (local time) on St Brigid’s day, the 1st of February 2023.
Sr. Rita Minehan csb of Solas Bhríde said, “This movement for a Pause for Peace sets the scene for marking the new national holiday in honour of St Brigid on February 6th. It reflects a spiritual underpinning to the holiday and is consonant with the value of peace which Brigid stood for in her time.”
The practice began in October 2001, following the 2nd Mercy International Justice Network conference in South Africa, where those present resolved to focus their prayers and action on all forms of violence against women and children, as well as all kinds of racism. The conference opened on the night of September 11 2001 and so the events of that day in New York City deeply affected us as we immersed ourselves in the work at hand.
This week will draw together churches across the globe to “Do good; seek justice (Isaiah 1:17).” The theme is inspired by Isaiah 1:12-18, which laments a lack of justice among the People of God. Yet it also promises redemption by encouraging acts of justice. Like Isaiah, we hope to inspire a renewed desire and effort for justice among Christian peoples around the world. The theme and materials call Christians to recognize that the divisions between our churches and confessions cannot be separated from the divisions within the wider human family.
Reports on COP15 were posted during the conference on our website 
The aim of this global pact is to halt and reverse the rapid loss of biodiversity by 2030, setting aside at least 30% of the world’s lands, oceans and inland waters for conservation and respecting the rights, roles and contributions of indigenous peoples toward this goal. The Framework designed at COP15 charts a new way forward, a path away from the damaging patterns that led to the destructionof ecosystems and diminishment of species over many decades. 
The COP talks are an effort to get countries to agree to policies that will halt and repair the damage and destruction caused by human activities like mining on the planet’s ecosystem and wild species. Over the course of the talks, attention has been focused on preserving 30% of the world’s land and water by 2030. But this depends on the technology and the finances available, and no deal can happen, however worthy and necessary, unless there are adequate resources. Several complex issues are at play in the negotiations – including the questions of how much territory countries are willing to leave undeveloped for the conservation of natural habitats and how to finance that effort. While there was agreement that countries which have great biodiversity, but which also need to develop their economies should not be the ones to carry the burden for the rest of the world, no significant progress has been made in resolving that critical issue.
Participants will set out new goals and develop an action plan for nature over the next decade. The conference will be held in Montréal, Quebec, the seat of the UN CBD Secretariat, from December 7 – 19, 2022.
Cop 27 delegates worked overtime last weekend to hammer out a deal regarding a “loss and damage” fund for countries that are vulnerable to the devastating impacts of global warming.