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Newsletter from Hope Cathedral | May 2019
Dear Followers!May is perhaps the most beautiful month of the year, the month when nature comes alive. May has also been a busy and eventful month, with, amongst others, lots going on at the building site.
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Pupils busy as beesThe building site has become a popular place to visit for schools, and pictured are two pupils from Rødsmyra primary school in full swing. The children learnt how a “bee cathedral” works, how to make them, and then built a number of them themselves. To support the project the pupils will sell the bee cathedrals to family and friends. Watch this sweet little clip made by two of the school children (in Norwegian).
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School classes learning about life in the sea and why it is necessary that we get involved. We spent much time talking about the importance of cooperation and the UN’s sustainable development goals, which the world must achieve by 2030. |
Bishops beneath deck
In conjunction with the Church of Norway’s Bishops’ Conference in Fredrikstad, the bishops joined us for coffee one morning. Showing great enthusiasm and interest, they climbed down into the beautiful barge hull, which is only accessible until the deck is laid. It is such a joy to show the foundation on which the Cathedral of Hope will be built!
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Signe Wenneberg new ambassador!Signe Wenneberg, Haslev, Denmark, is an author, speaker and independent journalist. -I write on everyday activism, sustainability, food waste, circular economy, nature, the climate, animal welfare, chickens, gardens, ecology, water, soil, recycling and green solutions. This is her instagram account, which is well worth following! |
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Interfaith collaboration for Hope CathedralWhat makes imams from three continents, a Buddhist monk, a Sikh, two Catholics and a Protestant pastor come together one afternoon to debark trees? It was a wonderful meeting, in the spirit of caring for the environment and creation! Action brings hope! Climate changes require us to embrace a common ethics for our planet and future. In May the organisation Norwegian Interfaith Climate Network visited our building site, and five different religions were represented. They came to learn about the project and take part in specific work tasks, such as debarking logs and making bee cathedrals. After the work was done, we had a lovely meal together, with colourful and delicious food from St. Croix, a local culture and arts centre. Norwegian Interfaith Climate Network is comprised of Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Jews, holists and others. For more information, contact Einar Tjelle at et982@kirken.no More photos here. VIDEO: We also recommend watching this video (in English). Ibrahima Kebba Saidy, imam: Daru Salaam Islamic Centre, Founder and Chairman: Green Jihad for Peace and Sustainable Development, speaks about hope.
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-Sunshine, great atmosphere, the pleasant smell of timber, tar, sea and sweat, Einar Tjelle wrote after the visit. The sea connects people. So will this cathedral. The debarking went quickly when Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Catholics and Lutherans collaborated. |
-Sunshine, great atmosphere, the pleasant smell of timber, tar, sea and sweat, Einar Tjelle wrote after the visit. The sea connects people. So will this cathedral. The debarking went quickly when Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Catholics and Lutherans collaborated. |
Yoga of hope in the bargeTo celebrate the beautiful inside parts of the barge, we arranged a Yoga of Hope event, led by yoga instructor Anette Manskow Thorstensen @yogagamlebyen. It was a memorable evening filled with sunlight and the scents of tar and timber. As the deck is now being laid, closing off the hull, this was one of the last times we could invite people into this room. Norway’s national broadcaster NRK covered the event (in Norwegian).
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Borg diocese turns 50At the celebration of Borg diocese’s 50th anniversary in May, a number of people got to hear about Hope Cathedral, one of the diocese’s anniversary projects. Several guests visited the building site and could see for themselves the size of the barge and the craftsmanship involved.
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On Diocesan Day there were a number of workshops. This group of interested people learnt about the Hope Cathedral project and was given a tour of the building site at Isegran. |
Moving benefit concertThe concert for climate change at Fredrikstad Cathedral was a magical event! Starring renowned artist Magnus Grønneberg, the concert was a part of Borg diocese’s 50th-anniversary celebrations and held in support of Hope Cathedral. A truly wonderful concert which touched our hearts. Thank you for this gift!
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Anders F. Kristiansen spent his work placement week with us. He had a number of different tasks on the building site, on social media, and he manned our stand in connection with the 50th anniversary of Borg diocese. He also wrote this blog. A very clever and amiable young man. |
Anders F. Kristiansen spent his work placement week with us. He had a number of different tasks on the building site, on social media, and he manned our stand in connection with the 50th anniversary of Borg diocese. He also wrote this blog. A very clever and amiable young man. |
Green church networkThe European Christian Environment Network gathers representatives from various denominations in Europe. The green network meets every other year, and this spring Oslo was the location of choice. On Sunday, May 21, a delegation arrived by bus at the building site. There was a presentation of the project, and later they took part in the building work. Photos from the visit here.
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We present our resource group!-a new person every month. May is dedicated to Svein Helge Rødahl, retired pastor and minister to seamen.
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-My contact with churches in the southern parts of the world has shown me that the mission of the Church is relevant here and now, that we belong together, all people all over the Earth, that “we are all in the same boat”, and that we must stand together for the creation of which we are stewards. My wish is that Hope Cathedral will become more than just an interesting stunt, something which can unite us, despite our political, religious and philosophical differences, to take action to save the sea, which is so greatly threatened by our pollution. |
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This newsletter was translated by Thomas Deschington. Technical Translator | Deschington Language Services | Email Thank you so much!
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Hope Cathedral is an interfaith and sustainable art project. We’re building a cathedral with a wooden construction inspired by traditional Norwegian stave churches and blocks made out of plastic we have found in the sea. The cathedral becomes proof that we can transform something bad into something good - and is a groundbreaking meeting point between world heritage and modern art, between people across age, nationality and faith. Hope Cathedral will be a place for common effort in a world where we may feel isolated from others.
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