Four Mumbai Parishes Mark Season of Creation with Water-Saving Actions, Engage Youth and Children

Four Catholic parishes in Mumbai marked the Season of Creation with special liturgies, displays, children’s activities and practical initiatives focused on water conservation and care for the environment.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital and one of Asia’s largest and most densely populated cities, depends on extensive water systems to serve millions of residents. Against this urban backdrop, the parishes connected the 2026 Season of Creation theme, “Living Water,” with everyday choices about water use and care for the environment.

The Season of Creation is an annual ecumenical period observed from September 1 to October 4, when Christians pray and act for the care of creation. It begins with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and concludes on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology.

At St. Francis Xavier Church in Dabul, all weekend Masses on September 20 included the Season of Creation liturgy. A Living Water display was installed and will continue to develop through October 4, with additional elements of nature being added.

During the 9 a.m. Mass, members of the Green Guardians Cell brought saplings, loaves of bread, grapes, bread and wine in the offertory. Sunday School children wrote messages imagining what the river would say to people and placed them in the river display.

A session on the environment was also held in the parish hall for Sunday School children, catechists and parishioners. Fr. Suren spoke about the environmental impact of non-eco-friendly products commonly used by or for children and suggested simple changes that could begin at home.

At St. Theresa’s Church in Bandra, all Sunday Masses over the September 20 weekend featured a special Care for Creation liturgy with the support of the new parish priest, Fr. Tony Menezes, SVD.

The parish created a Living Water display using light blue satin cloth cascading from the baptismal font down the steps and into a bucket. Additional buckets placed before the altar represented physical and spiritual thirst.

The familiar household bucket was also used as a reminder that a bucket bath can consume less water than a traditional shower. The parish encouraged people to consider how seemingly small daily choices, including how they eat, bathe and use technology, can collectively shape the environment.

At the Shrine of Don Bosco’s Madonna, located in Matunga, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Allwyn D’Silva of Bombay presided at the 6:30 p.m. Mass on September 27. The celebration coincided with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees and World Rivers Day. The liturgy included prayers for children and people affected by ecological crises, together with thanksgiving for rivers.

At Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Orlem, Malad West, the Season of Creation Mass was celebrated on September 27, followed by the distribution of a small water-saving device and an awareness program through a flash mob by Sunday School children.

The parish’s contemplative display was set up from September 19 to 27 with the participation of its Eco Youth and Sunday School children. The young participants, described as “Little Eco Warriors,” presented a dance based on the message, “When water stops, life stops.”

The parish also combined the celebration with the commissioning of its participants, followed by the dismantling of the display and fellowship.

Across the four parishes, children and young people played an active role in turning the theme of Living Water into visible displays, performances, educational sessions and practical conservation measures.

The activities reflected the wider purpose of the Season of Creation: to move from prayer and reflection toward concrete action to protect the natural world and ensure that the gift of water continues to sustain life.