Church of St Ignatius parish priest Fr Colin Tan SJ, with the Gardening Group, receives the award from C4C Committee Chairperson Lum Hon Fye

The Church of St Ignatius in Singapore has won first prize in the Caritas C4C (Care for Creation) Laudato Sí In Bloom Community Garden Competition. Launched in February of this year, the competition invited churches, schools, and Catholic organisations to showcase their love for nature and commitment to being good stewards of God’s creation.

Inspired by a strong sense of community sharing and spiritual connection fostered through gardening, the parish’s Gardening Group decided to participate in the competition. The Caritas judges who came for the physical assessment of the garden in May were impressed with the team’s efforts in creating various green spaces, from the Sacred Heart Prayer Garden, built mainly from recycled materials, to the Herbs and Spice Garden and other green areas of the parish garden planted with edibles. The Sacred Heart Prayer Garden features a variety of plants and offers a place for parishioners to spend time with the Lord, appreciate nature’s beauty, and experience its biodiversity, aligning with Pope Francis’ call to love and dutifully care for our common home.

Established six years ago to promote gardening and inter-ministry fellowship, and as part of the Green Movement Ministry, the St Ignatius Gardening Group integrates the essence of Laudato sí through shared community efforts. These include gardening and tending the parish garden, recycling materials, harvesting rainwater for washing and irrigation, reducing single-use plastic, and generating compost from organic waste for garden use. They also organise an annual farmers market to share their harvest and promote community fellowship.

The Gardening Group welcomes volunteers with various interests in ornamental plants, air plants, orchids, herbs and spices, and even tropical fruit trees.