The Season of Creation Prayer Service at Saint Mary’s commemorated the four elements—earth, air, fire and water. Here, Sister Rita Boakyewaa Konadu represents water, pouring it from one vessel to another.
The service included an opportunity to make a personal commitment to caring for our common home. Sister Mary Ann Uebbing, CSC, ties her commitment ribbon to a “burning bush.”
Sister Juliana Santos Sousa waves a blue ribbon to represent the element of air during the prayer service.
Recently, we celebrated the Season of Creation, a dedicated time of prayer and action in care of our common home. During these weeks, we reflected on and renewed our relationship with our creator and creation through celebration, commitment and conversion. Kicking off the season, we released the Sisters of the Holy Cross Laudato Siʹ Action Plan for 2022-23! This document celebrates the work our sisters have done, the conversion they encourage with those they serve, and their continued commitment to building communities of justice and love. The plan highlights seven initiatives for each country where the sisters minister as well as seven Congregation-wide commitments.
To create a “burning bush,” attendees chose ribbons of varying colors to signify commitments to ecological education, recycling and limiting single-use plastics, political advocacy, reducing meat consumption, and increasing walking and bicycling.
During the season, we celebrated with a prayer service at Saint Mary’s on September 18, focusing on the theme “Listen to the Voice of Creation” with the symbol of the burning bush, through which God spoke to Moses. During the prayer service, attendees tied flame-colored ribbons onto bushes based on their specific commitments to caring for creation. The result was a symbolic burning bush that we have displayed in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto.
With the close of the Season of Creation on October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Laudato Siʹ Movement released the documentary film The Letter about Laudato Siʹ and the climate crisis. The documentary focuses on Pope Francis and people from around the globe who have been greatly impacted by the ecological crisis. The featured individuals are from Senegal, the Amazon, India and Hawaii, and each share perspectives and ideas from the peripheries. These representatives of the poor, the indigenous, the youth and wildlife also dialogue with Pope Francis. Make sure to watch it!
