By William Gan
MIRI — Dubbed the 2Cs Workshop, it was a joint effort by the two Episcopal Commissions under the Diocese of Miri – Caritas Miri and Creation Justice of Miri (CJC Miri), to highlight the interconnected two Cries as mentioned in Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ mi Signore. The idea for a joint workshop was conceived during the annual Caritas Malaysia National Assembly held in Pace Bene, Papar, Sabah in November 2024.
The 2-day Workshop was conducted in St Dominic and the Rosary Church hall in Taman Tunku, Miri on 21 and 22 March 2025 to raise awareness on charity, social justice and community service particularly in the context of hearing the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor caused by ever-increasing extreme climate events. This inaugural joint workshop attracted some 50 participants from various parishes.
The 2Cs Workshop was led by Rev Fr Sylvester Ngau Juk (for Caritas) and Msgr Joseph Ding (for Creation Justice) respectively.
The workshop started in the evening of the first day with Fr Sylvester giving an introduction to the topic and Msgr Joseph giving a talk on the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor. The workshop continued the next morning after daily Mass at the St Dominic chapel with Msgr Joseph giving a brief summary of the encyclical Laudato Si’ mi Signore about the care for our Common Home. This was followed by a presentation on the Integral Response to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor in Malaysia by Rosica Milah from Caritas Miri. Fr Sylvester then conducted a Guided Lenten Reflection and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the chapel.
Thereafter, the workshop continued with fun activities for breaks, followed by intense group discussions on action plans. Msgr Joseph thanked them for their enthusiasm and urged them to boldly present their community proposals to the relevant authorities upon their return.
The workshop concluded at midday with Msgr Joseph and Fr Sylvester laying hands and praying over each participant, blessing them and commissioning them out to courageously respond to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor.
Participants found the workshop engaging and they felt motivated to act in response to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor. Some mentioned that it opened their eyes to the connection between irresponsible lifestyles and daily choices to the sufferings of the poor in our midst. It is our lack of respect and stewardship of God’s beautiful gift of creation that are contributing to the increasing frequency of extreme climate events causing hardship in our communities.
