Background
In 1989 the Ecumenical Patriarch suggested that 1 September, the first day of the Orthodox Church’s year, should be observed as a day “of protection of the natural environment”. Ten years later the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) widened this proposal, urging churches to adopt a Time for Creation stretching from 1 September to the feast of St Francis on 4 October and this was endorsed by the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu, Romania in 2007, which recommended that the period “be dedicated to prayer for the protection of Creation and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles that reverse our contribution to climate change”.
Resources
Current (and recent) material and resources for the Season of Creation are produced by ecumenical groups and are available to download via links from this website:
Observe the Season of Creation / Creation Time, which takes place from 1 September – 4 October 2026, with these resources.
Observe the Season of Creation / Creation Time, which takes place from 1 September – 4 October 2025, with these resources.
Observe the Season of Creation / Creation Time, 1 September – 4 October 2024, with these resources.
Past content
You can find older content for the Season of Creation on our Archive website.