Eco-Spirituality in Action: Lomeri Community in Fiji Builds Advent Wreath From Reused Materials

Advent is a season to pause, prepare, and take time to do something meaningful as we ready ourselves for Christmas. At the Champagnat Marist Centre for Ecology and Spirituality in Lomeri, Fiji, our Brothers and local community welcomed the season in a simple and genuinely eco-friendly way.

In the weeks leading up to Advent, the initiative - led by Br Petero Navuku - brought the community together to gather scraps and unused materials from around the centre: leftover timber from the workshop, pieces of bamboo, rusted tin cans, old tyres, gravel from the driveway, and half-used candles found in cupboards. Nothing was purchased; everything was reclaimed, repurposed, and given new life.

These materials gradually formed their Advent wreath - simple in design but rich in symbolism. Tin cans were sprayed with grey paint found on a workshop shelf. Used candles were coated with purple acrylic paint and a touch of pink chalk from the library. Blue and green paper cutouts - sourced from the computer room - were added as final touches: blue for Mother Mary, green for creation.

Each cutout carried the name of a friend, guest, or companion who visited the centre throughout the year, making their presence part of the wreath itself.

When completed, the wreath stood as an expression of unity - of care for one another, for the earth, and for the shared home we are called to protect. It served as a gentle reminder that hope often emerges from what we already have at hand.

Thank you to our Lomeri community for this fantastic initiative!

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Pics credit: Br Petero Navuku, Lomeri, Fiji