The Catholic and Anglican Parishes of Kurri Kurri and Cessnock held the seventh annual Blessing of Our Land at Pokolbin Community Hall on Sunday August 27..
The event began at 11.30am with an Aboriginal smoking ceremony, followed by a BYO picnic lunch and children’s activities.
“The beautiful Hunter Valley is a great of gift of God to all people, most especially to those who live there,” Anglican Parish of Mount Vincent, Weston amd Kurri Kurri rector, Mother Theresa Angert-Quilter said.
“It is a fertile and joyful place where the goodness of God’s creation can be seen in vines and olives and rolling hills and green vistas. The land is precious to all who benefit of its bounty but it is also fragile and a limited resource on planet Earth.
“The Blessing of the Land is a religious ceremony and a time to stop and celebrate with prayer and hope for the future. The celebration is ecumenical involving persons from various Christian and other religious or philosophical traditions.
“The sorrow of the land having been disrespected in the past and the repentance for the cruelty of acts of trespass and unwelcome confiscation of the land from the original indigenous custodians has added depth to the ceremony.”
A Welcome to Country began the celebration and prayers of lament are woven together with prayers of thanksgiving and hope.
