The Care for Creation group of St. Andrew Church in Bandra, Mumbai, marked the ongoing Season of Creation with a reflection on “Living Water,” highlighting the importance of water and the Christian responsibility to care for the environment.
Members from different zones of the parish came together for an awareness program that connected the everyday importance of water with its spiritual significance in Christian faith.
St. Andrew Church is located in Bandra, a prominent suburb of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra on India’s western coast. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Bombay.
At the center of the initiative was a creative display around the church’s baptismal font. Water was depicted as flowing outward, bringing life, healing, hope and renewal. Collages and three-dimensional displays illustrated the abundance of life sustained by water and its role in healing and renewal.
Maria D’Souza, Care for Creation coordinator, described the activity as “an eye-opener” to the importance of water and the difficulties many people face in accessing it.
“We do not value it till we lose it,” she said, highlighting the need for greater awareness and responsible use of water.
The participants reflected on water as essential to human life and livelihoods. Rivers and other water sources have long supported human settlements, while agriculture, fishing and animal husbandry depend on access to water.
The group also explored the biblical meaning of “living water,” connecting it with Jesus and the Holy Spirit and with the Christian understanding of spiritual renewal and eternal life. Participants reflected particularly on the significance of water in Baptism and Reconciliation.
Sharmaine Costa said preparing the baptismal font helped her recognize “how beautifully water connects our faith, our lives, and our responsibility towards Creation.”
She said that baptism, as a sign of new life, also called Christians “to protect and cherish the Earth, our common home.”
Douglas Misquitta reflected on humanity’s relationship with water, saying, “Water gives life. Water takes life. Science has affirmed this natural law.”
He said wasteful, inappropriate and unequal use of water amounted to an abuse of this basic resource.
“We take water for granted,” he said, welcoming the Church’s emphasis on ecological responsibility during the Season of Creation.
The activity encouraged parishioners to deepen their commitment to the ecological message of Laudato Si’ and translate it into responsible action for the protection of the Earth, the common home.
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