Sacred Heart Church becomes an ecological parish

Mar 28, 2025

By Elena Shim
On March 18, the Church of the Sacred Heart, officially launched its status as an ecological parish with a special Mass and an enlightening talk on ecological transformation and spirituality.

The Mass began at 9.00am with Fr Andrew Manickam, OFM Cap, serving as the celebrant. The choir sang the hymn Listen to the Cries of Mother Earth, which resonated with the church's new focus on environmental care and spirituality.

Following the Mass, Fr Andrew delivered an insightful talk on ecological transformation, drawing from the teachings of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical, which was published a decade ago. The talk emphasised the importance of ecological awareness and spirituality in today’s world.

Parish priest Msgr Stanislaus Soosaimariam, addressed the congregation, highlighting that the journey toward becoming an ecological parish is not an immediate change but rather a gradual transformation in habits and lifestyle. He stressed the importance of consistent effort in making environmentally conscious decisions.

As a follow-up to Laudato Si’, the Laudato Deum encyclical was published in 2023, offering a reflection on the progress made since 2015 and outlining the continued actions needed to address environmental issues.

Around 70 attendees participated in a talk and recycling session hosted by the Tzu Chi Foundation. The session was led by Jessica, a presenter from Tzu Chi, who shared her personal journey toward embracing a minimal and zero-waste lifestyle with her household of seven. She discussed the 5 Rs — refuse, reduce, repurpose, repair, and recycle — and emphasised that recycling should be the last resort.

Jessica highlighted the challenges of recycling, noting that only about 20 per cent of materials intended for recycling actually get processed due to factors such as contamination, economic constraints, and insufficient infrastructure. She also provided a fascinating example of how 62 Coca-Cola bottles can be recycled into an emergency blanket, which Tzu Chi distributes as part of its flood relief missions.

A key part of Tzu Chi’s efforts involves using recycled plastic bottles (PET) to create T-shirts through their DA.AI Technology. Volunteers play an essential role in collecting and sorting PET bottles, which are then transformed into yarn and woven into fabric to create these sustainable garments.

The presentation also featured the emotional song Kita Satu Keluarga, written and performed by Dato’ Sri Hajah Siti Nurhaliza, about the Batu Pahat flood in March 2023. The video, accompanied by hand-sign language performed by Tzu Chi volunteers, powerfully conveyed the impact of climate change and the importance of collective action.

Jessica also shared information about recycling centres across Malaysia, providing the audience with valuable resources on how to engage with local recycling efforts. For more information on these centres, go to: https://www.tzuchi.my/en/join-us/recycling-centres

The session concluded with a lively Q&A segment, where attendees discussed various recyclable materials and saw examples of how they are repurposed into useful products such as t-shirts and emergency blankets.