ECEN Roman Juriga Eco-church award honours innovative projects

25 October, 2018

Press Release No: 18/33
25 October 2018
Brussels

The winner of the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) Roman Juriga Award 2018 is the project Plant Native Fruit Trees in Parsonages of the Eco-Congregation Movement in Hungary. The ECEN award jury acknowledged and appreciated the ecumenical and innovative approach of this project in caring for creation.

The second place for Roman Juriga Award is the Islington Sustainable Church Building Project of the Church of England. The ECEN award panel admired the positive achievements of the project in reaching out with energy efficiency schemes for 24 churches and engaging these churches into efforts for sustainable development.

Also, in the joint second place is Cowal Church Energy Project of the Church of Scotland. This project was honoured due to its achievements in finding new solutions for heating church buildings and providing good solutions to remote rural locations.

The awards were presented at the ECEN Assembly recently held in Katowice (Poland), the site of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24).

“I am delighted to receive this recognition on behalf of the Cowal Churches in Argyll. This project demonstrates that renewable heat sources using Green Energy can sustain historic rural churches protecting our Christian heritage,” said Mary Sweetland, Chairman Eco-Congregation Scotland.

“It was really great for the churches and charity to have this recognition. We all feel really encouraged,” commented Heather Wood of the Richard Cloudesley's Charity.

The ECEN Roman Juriga Award honours inspirational and innovative church environmental projects in Europe. The award was launched in 2017 in memory of Roman Juriga and his outstanding work in the field of ecology and environment. Juriga comes from the Orthodox Church in the Czech Lands and Slovakia and passed away in 2016 at the age of 53.

Roman Juriga was a Christian leader who worked tirelessly with his church and partners across Europe to develop new and exciting green initiatives. His work focused especially on renewable energy technologies, and a number of solar, hydro and wind schemes. His passion for environmental issues had at its core the integrity of God’s inhabited earth.

The Roman Juriga Award was set up to continue his dream to recognise and affirm Christian environmental actions that are realistic, realisable and easy to be replicated elsewhere and take in account social and economic implications.

Themes considered by the ECEN award jury include Christian environmental education, Time for Creation and initiatives in worship and spirituality, recycling, eco-management, waste, water and health issues, renewable energy, nature conservation and biodiversity protection, transition lifestyles and sustainable transport and travel.

ECEN through this award aims to identify and support people and projects that display vision, courage and conviction as they take on their individual challenges that will ultimately improve the lives of people living on this planet, or seek to protect the world’s natural and cultural heritage as part of God’s whole creation.

The European Christian Environmental Network works closely with the Conference of European Churches to promote action and theological reflection in the care for Creation. CEC Study Secretary Peter Pavlovic serves as the secretary of this network.

For more information or an interview, please contact:

Dr Erin Green
Communication Coordinator
Conference of European Churches
Rue Joseph II, 174 B-1000 Brussels
Tel. +32 2 234 68 42
Fax +32 2 231 14 13
E-mail: eeg@cec-kek.be
Website: www.ceceurope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceceurope
Twitter: @ceceurope
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