| 6/17/2010 7:59:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | St. Camillus Parish hosts prayer service for Gulf oil disaster
MAUREEN BOYLE
Special to the Standard
Parishioners of St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring gathered June 9 to pray, to mourn and to ask God for healing and renewal in the Gulf of Mexico, as the catastrophic oil spill continues to threaten and destroy sea life in the region. Prayers were also offered for the British Petroleum oil rig workers who lost their lives in the April 20 explosion.
"As people of faith, we gather in prayer, repentance and hope in response to this issue," said William Dinges, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Parish in Silver Spring. "The sense of loss and exasperation is acute as the toxic mess makes its way into the marshes, oyster and shrimp beds."
He described the disaster that is decimating livelihoods and wildlife "as a slow motion nightmare" occurring during the past several weeks.
"Our response is obvious - prayer, concern and support," he said. "As Christians, we are also called to stewardship - to cultivate and keep creation, not to take undue risks with it. We are called to protect nature's integrity and dignity."
He urged public advocacy to reduce the amount of oil used for energy in the U.S.
Franciscan Father Jacek Orzechowski used the recent image of the pelican - an ancient symbol of Christ - drenched in oil to reflect on the tragedy unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. "We ask God's grace for renewal and we ask God to help us heal His creation," he said.
More than 100 people from St. Camillus and nearby parishes attended the bi-lingual prayer service, which also featured hymns sung by the parish choir. Intercessory prayers for those whose lives were lost, whose livelihoods are in trouble, and for workers trying to control the disaster were offered up by the congregation.
Caroline Gain-Yo, a parishioner of St. Camillus and a French-speaking native of Africa, was among the attendees at the prayer service. "Whenever there is something that can touch you, it can impact the whole world," she said. "The Gulf of Mexico is connected to all the world and impacts all of us. That is why we have to pray and pray very hard."
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