Nature Church Project

The Return to Nature Church Project at St. Mary’s Church, Quin, involves six parishes, with Quin Village Tidy Towns leading pollinator enhancements at St. Mary’s Church. The project is supported by Bishop Fintan and Fr. Tom Ryan, inspired by Pope Francis’s vision. Restoration efforts include the restoration of the Statue of St. Francis, clearing moss from shingle beds, and power-washing the Millennium Stone. The grass management plan features two long-flowering meadows for pollinators, two six-week short-flowering meadows for bursts of colour, and regular grass cutting for other areas. Biodiversity Signs will be erected to inform parishioners and visitors about the project’s purpose. The project aligns with Pope Francis’s 30 x 30 vision, dedicating 30% of church grounds to nature by 2030, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.