To celebrate the 7 October anniversary of the death of Fr Julian Tenison Woods, co-founder of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, this year we have done something special.
Fr Julian was a man of many talents: an environmentalist, scientist, priest, explorer, campaigner for social justice and the rights of Indigenous people, among many others.
To introduce Fr Julian to the next generation, we have produced the attached resources for children and adults.
The activity booklet “Living in Our World” offers a range of different themed activities around Fr Julian’s love for the natural world, organised by age group. It can either be used on the computer or printed. It is suitable for use in a variety of contexts, including by parents at home under lockdown with their families.
“Living in Our World” Activity Book (PDF)
“Living in Our World” Activity Book (FlippingBook)
The prayer resources are designed to be used by adults and children in the morning and evening of 7 October as a special commemoration of Fr Julian. They are inspired by the “four directions” prayers of First Nations peoples from around the world.
The activities booklet and prayer booklet are free to distribute and use. Please feel free to circulate them to friends, family, colleagues and anybody else who might be inspired by Fr Julian’s vision for creation.
St Mary’s School in Gisborne, Aotearoa New Zealand, is a wonderful example of how Fr Julian’s life and work can move us to live in harmony with the natural world. The children and teachers from St Mary’s have produced this video about their ‘green-gold enviro school’.
We would be delighted to hear from you if you have found these materials useful.
May the prayers of Fr Julian be with you on this special day and help you to see the sacredness of all created things!
We invite you to view a video produced by Tenison Woods College, Mount Gambier SA made for the 130th anniversary of Fr Julian’s death in 2019.