The Very Reverend Katherine Bowyer, Dean of Newcastle, will bless watercraft and environmental activists at Christ Church Cathedral on Monday November 20 at 11am.
The blessing will take place ahead of the People’s Blockade of the Port of Newcastle on November 25-26.
Dean Katherine said it was part of her Anglican faith to care for the environment.
“Whether you are a person of faith or not, this is about acknowledging we all have an overarching responsibility to care for the world and creation,” Dean Katherine said.
“What joins us together is a desire to care for the world well.”
Dean Katherine lived in the Upper Hunter 20 years ago, shortly after becoming a priest. During this time she said she saw the landscape change dramatically under the impact of coal mining.
“I recognise the economic importance of mining,” she said. “But I am also aware of the impact on the environment as we burn coal.
“We need to be proactive about moving to renewable sources of energy. If we say we are going to be good stewards of the earth, we can’t just stand by.
