Tag: Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation

9th Annual University of the Incarnate Word Earth Fair

9th Annual University of the Incarnate Word Earth Fair

A few days before the event, I headed out to Marquee Plaza to stand in line among the hundreds who wanted to get a free tree to enhance efforts to make the City of San Antonio “green.” The tree was the prize that we planned to give away for the UIW students and advocate for Care of Our Common Home.

Sr. Mary Pezold, Sr. Josetta, and myself gathered all the materials necessary for the event. We along with the Brothers Adolf and Alejandro from Holy Cross, and Pax Christi’s Texas President Arthur set-up for the 9th Annual UIW Earth Fair attended by a variety of nature lovers, some who introduced their green organizations, some sold eco-friendly items, others gave away free plants, and healthy food items. We gave away bookmarks that talked about the Laudato Si and the United Nation’s Climate Action, we also gave prayer cards from the vocation ministry, along with information from Headwaters to promote the sanctuary.  Brother Adolf and Alejandro are both Laudato Si Certified Animators and have been teaching youth about the Care of the Earth and encouraging about Laudato Si and its causes.

We talked to the students about the Laudato Si Animators program which is a free educational and certification program sponsored by the Laudato Si Movement open for anyone who would be interested in Climate Action and solving the Climate Crisis. We gave away Texas Native Flower Seeds and stressed the importance of native plants in having a thriving local ecosystem.

Several visitors were eager to know about the Laudato Si and the need for the voice of the poor, voice of nature, voice of the youth, and voice of the indigenous to be heard. These are the vulnerable voices highlighted from the movie called “The Letter” by Pope Francis. At the end of the event, a student adopted the avocado tree. Through Earth day events, God’s work in creation can be given an importance and people can share the many ways we can listen to the cry of the unheard, unspoken, and sometimes silent.

Written by Sr. Marylou Rodriguez.

S. Marylou shares about Climate Change and Laudato Si with a UIW Student while S. Mary Pezold invites other students.

The team with the Dean of Humanities, Dr. Clavere.

Br. Adolf and Alejandro, the certified Laudato Si Animators showing the poster.

UIW Student from Sustain and S. Mary P.

SÚMATE 2022 came to an end

SÚMATE 2022 came to an end

Our project SÚMATE 2022 contest came to an end. We had the opportunity to encounter the winning team CAMYF, who participated with the development of a Biogarden in an area of poverty and extreme poverty, raising awareness about the care of the land in the Human Settlement “Nuevo Paraíso” in Nuevo Chimbote, Ancash (Peru).

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Caring for our common home

Caring for our common home

The Súmate contest was held for the first time in 2021 with the aim of raising awareness of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si and responding to his invitation to continue caring for our common home. Súmate 2022, sponsored by SURGE and JPIC invited young people between the ages of 14 and 25 to transform a space to create a green space.

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Migration should not be a tragedy

Migration should not be a tragedy

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word once again call our congregational family to gather in prayer and reflection in solidarity of the preventable deaths of 50 people, including children, found this Monday, June 27, in an abandoned trailer on the streets of San Antonio, Texas. The frailty and precariousness of our migrant sisters and brothers hurt us. We recognize that this is a tragedy repeated globally, as recently occurring in Melilla, Spain, in which 23 people died trying to reach better opportunities.

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SÚMATE contest: forming an awareness of the care and commitment to our home

SÚMATE contest: forming an awareness of the care and commitment to our home

While on lockdown, I recently learned about an area of international collaboration that has me fascinated. I’m referring to mangrove conservation and restoration efforts. Of course, first, I learned about mangroves. I never cease to marvel at how rich they are for our planet. Among other benefits, they protect coastlines from extreme weather events, support local communities, are home to many species, and have an impressive ability to sequester carbon dioxide. I invite you to do some research on the subject because there is much to learn, and there are ways we can support these efforts.

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International Day of Nonviolence

International Day of Nonviolence

The International Day of Nonviolence is celebrated each year on October 2, the birth date of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of nonviolence. According to the United Nations General Assembly, in 2007 this commemoration was established to “ensure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and nonviolence.”

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