Category: Environment

Looking to the Stars at Mercy Centre for Ecology and Justice

Posted on by Diane Smyth
Sr Mary Tee and with other avid star-gazers

The night was perfect: it was a clear, crisp and “stellar” evening in St. John’s! The atmosphere was perfectly still and just right for star-gazing.

The CBC weatherman told viewers that it was a perfect night to see the stars and dotted his weather map with them.

Members of the St. John’s Centre Royal Astronomical Society set up their telescopes and high-powered binoculars to view the moon and stars and other treasures of our expansive universe. Adults and children gathered in the garden of the Mercy Centre for Ecology and Justice on Mount Scio Road at 6:00 p.m., waiting patiently as the scientists set up their delicate, yet powerful instruments.

Craters and mountains on the moon were quite visible – yet, no one saw the man-in-the moon! Other planets and constellations of stars could easily be seen. Even the space station came into view.

Looking to the stars

Stargazers appreciated the effort of the Astronomical Society to provide this special opportunity.

Deep appreciation to Sister Mary Tee, Coordinator of the Mercy Centre for Ecology and Justice, and her committee for making this possible. We hope to have another opportunity to look to the stars.

Growing Food to Share at Mercy Centre

Posted on by Diane Smyth

If you cut across the diameter of an apple you will see a five- pointed star at its centre. Many of the blossoms that turn into the vegetables and fruits that we eat are also shaped like five pointed stars. To the Mercy Centre for Ecology & Justice, the five pointed star is a symbol that we are all connected in a reciprocal relationship with nature and the universe.

Produce harvested from the MCEJ Garden

The mission of the  Mercy Centre for Ecology & Justice is to promote the interconnectedness and interrelatedness of all creation and to live in a spirituality flowing out of the sacredness of all creation.

From its beginnings in 2003, the Mercy Centre quickly identified a need to connect low-income families in the St. John’s area with fresh, healthy locally grown produce. Organizers also saw the opportunity to engage youth in growing food. The result has been a six year community gardening initiative that is still thriving today. Mercy Centre organizers see physical connection with the land as a practical expression of their mission.

“The first purpose was to engage youth in organic gardening so that they could learn the skills of gardening; skills that were traditionally known to their elders but were being lost”, reflects Sister Mary Tee, coordinator of the Mercy Centre for Ecology & Justice. “The second purpose then was to engage youth so that they could experience what it means to be a contributing member of the larger community and help feed those in need. The third purpose was to offer a healthy respect and appreciation for the land so that youth could see themselves as part of all creation and all creation as part of them; and then with such awareness of the mysteries and miracle of life in a tiny seed, a greater wisdom and consciousness could be found.”

Over the years thousands of pounds of fresh food have been donated to food banks and meal programs by the Mercy Centre’s gardeners. This was made possible by the generous support of several farmers in the area who shared their acreage and contributed their expertise.  From 2003 – 2009, prior to the Mercy Centre establishing its current home on Mount Scio Road, garden land was donated by farmers Colin Lester, Hector Williams, Robert Walsh, and the Searl Family.

Starting in 2006 the Mercy Centre began partnering with the Association for New Canadians (ANC) to provide access to land to participants in the Association’s language training program, many of whom were new residents to Canada who brought with them a wealth of knowledge on food production. That relationship continues today and ANC participants often visit to tend their plants, harvest fresh food for their families, and participate in events like presentations and workshops on food security and food skills given by the Food Security Network(FSN). In 2012 a new initiative was started called Growing Health, a partnership with Nature NL to connect consumers of mental health services with gardening at the Mercy Centre, based on the belief that working in and with nature does wonders for the mind, body, and soul. Through the project dozens of new visitors have experienced what the Mercy Centre has to offer.  A new greenhouse and composting toilet were added in 2012.

The Mercy Centre for Ecology & Justice offers other impactful programs beyond the garden, including public education on the New Universe Story, a three-week nature-based summer camp for children, an annual fair trade Ten Thousand Villages Sale, and a youth choir that addresses social justice issues called Music and Song to Right the Wrongs. To support all of that amazing work, the Mercy Centre for Ecology and Justice formed its first Board of Directors in 2012.

Article courtesy of the Food Sharing Network

Create a Cosmic Advent Wreath

Posted on by Diane Smyth

The Season of Advent (3-24 December) has commenced and COP28 is now underway in Dubai. Instead of the traditional Advent wreath, consider creating a Cosmic Advent wreath. The Cosmic wreath is rooted in “deep incarnation.” This invites us into a radically different relationship with the world, a relationship where everything and everyone matters …

The themes of the four weeks are

Week 1: Birth of the Universe

Week 2: Birth of the Solar system

Week 3: Birth of Jesus, the Christ

Week 4: My Birth into the whole Cosmic Body of the Universe

The 5th moment is centered in “All is One”, the moment that Pope Francis calls “the joy of our hope.”

Let us pray: Week One: Birth of the Universe … Come, Sacred Source of All Life …

Come, waken me/us to ONENESS and to recognize your love within all creation.

El tiempo de Adviento (3-24 de diciembre) ha comenzado y la COP28 ya está en marcha en Dubai. En lugar de la tradicional corona de Adviento, considere la posibilidad de crear una corona de Adviento Cósmico. La corona Cósmica tiene sus raíces en la “encarnación profunda”. Esto nos invita a una relación radicalmente diferente con el mundo, una relación en la que todo y todos importan…

Los temas de las cuatro semanas son

Semana 1: Nacimiento del Universo

Semana 2 Nacimiento del sistema solar

Semana 3: Nacimiento de Jesús, el Cristo

Semana 4: Mi Nacimiento en todo el Cuerpo Cósmico del Universo

El 5º momento se centra en “Todo es Uno”, el momento que el Papa Francisco llama “la alegría de nuestra esperanza.”

Oremos: Primera Semana: Nacimiento del Universo … Ven, Sagrada Fuente de Toda Vida …

Ven, despiértame/despiértanos a la UNIDAD y a reconocer tu amor dentro de toda la creación.

COP28: An Introduction

Posted on by Diane Smyth

COP 28, the 28th Conference of the Parties will take place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirate. The conference will begin by delivering the first-ever Global Stocktake, a comprehensive evaluation or report card of how the global community has done with regard to the climate goals articulated at the 2015 Paris Agreement.

This Global Stocktake will take a hard look at where countries and stakeholders are making progress towards meeting these goals and where they are not. It will identify opportunities and challenges, with the aim of charting a better course for all parties to accelerate progress in carrying forward these climate goals.

In a letter to the parties in July 2023, the incoming president of COP28, Sultan Al Jaber, announced that the conference would focus on four key areas:

  • Fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030
  • Transforming climate finance by delivering on old promises and setting the framework for a new deal on finance
  • Putting nature, people, lives and livelihoods at the heart of climate action
  • Mobilizing for the most inclusive COP ever

In pre-conference talks held in in Abu Dhabi in late October, the President-designate called for global unity and urgent climate action at COP28. He urged countries to seek “common ground” in an effort to resolve disagreements over the future of fossil fuels, as countries are strongly divided on this issue as well as on the issue of the “Loss and Damage Fund” for countries most severely affected by the ravages of climate change.

A UN Climate Press Release on November 14 stated that national climate- change action plans are still not sufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change said that governments need to take bold steps to get on track. He stated very clearly: “This means COP28 must be a clear turning point.  Governments must not only agree what stronger climate actions will be taken, but also start showing exactly how to deliver them.”

Let us pray for all involved in these high-level discussions that will have lasting impacts on our future as a global community.

Post your prayer in our sacred space here

Pope Francis at COP28

Pope Francis will be participating in COP28 in Dubai from December 1-3, an unprecedented event in COP history. He is scheduled to address conference participants on December 2 and will hold several bilateral meetings as well.  On Sunday, December 3 he will inaugurate the Faith Pavilion, the Holy See’s pavilion, focusing on the themes of fraternity and interconnectedness of cultures. This Pavilion, designed to convey a message of peace to the world, is hosted by the Muslim Council of Elders in collaboration with the COP28 presidency, the Holy See, a coalition of faith partners and the UN Environmental Program.

 

La COP 28, la 28ª Conferencia de las Partes, se celebrará del 30 de noviembre al 12 de diciembre en Dubái (Emiratos Árabes Unidos). La conferencia se iniciará con la presentación del primer Balance Global, una evaluación exhaustiva o boletín de calificaciones de los resultados obtenidos por la comunidad mundial en relación con los objetivos climáticos articulados en el Acuerdo de París de 2015.

Este Balance Mundial analizará en profundidad en qué ámbitos los países y las partes interesadas están avanzando hacia el cumplimiento de estos objetivos y en cuáles no. Se identificarán las oportunidades y los retos, con el objetivo de trazar un mejor camino para que todas las partes aceleren el progreso en la consecución de estos objetivos climáticos.

En una carta dirigida a las partes en julio de 2023, el presidente entrante de la COP28, Sultan Al Jaber, anunció que la conferencia se centraría en cuatro áreas clave:

  • Acelerar la transición energética y reducir las emisiones antes de 2030.
  • Transformar la financiación de la lucha contra el cambio climático cumpliendo las viejas promesas y estableciendo el marco para un nuevo acuerdo financiero
  • Situar la naturaleza, las personas, las vidas y los medios de subsistencia en el centro de la acción climática.
  • Movilización para lograr la COP más inclusiva de la historia

En las conversaciones previas a la conferencia celebradas en Abu Dhabi a finales de octubre, el Presidente designado hizo un llamamiento a la unidad mundial y a la acción climática urgente en la COP28. Instó a los países a buscar un “terreno común” en un esfuerzo por resolver los desacuerdos sobre el futuro de los combustibles fósiles, ya que los países están muy divididos en esta cuestión, así como en el tema del “Fondo para pérdidas y daños” para los países más gravemente afectados por los estragos del cambio climático.

En un comunicado de prensa de la ONU sobre el clima del 14 de noviembre se afirmaba que los planes de acción nacionales sobre el cambio climático aún no son suficientes para limitar el aumento de la temperatura mundial a 1,5 grados centígrados y cumplir los objetivos del Acuerdo de París. El Secretario Ejecutivo de ONU Cambio Climático afirmó que los gobiernos deben tomar medidas audaces para ponerse en marcha. Lo dijo muy claramente: “Esto significa que la COP28 debe ser un claro punto de inflexión. Los gobiernos no sólo deben acordar qué medidas climáticas más contundentes se adoptarán, sino que también deben empezar a mostrar exactamente cómo llevarlas a cabo.”

Recemos por todos los implicados en estos debates de alto nivel que tendrán repercusiones duraderas en nuestro futuro como comunidad mundial.

Publique su oración en nuestro espacio sagrado aquí

El Papa Francisco en la COP28

El Papa Francisco participará en la COP28 en Dubai del 1 al 3 de diciembre, un acontecimiento sin precedentes en la historia de la COP. Está previsto que se dirija a los participantes en la conferencia el 2 de diciembre y que mantenga también varias reuniones bilaterales. El domingo 3 de diciembre inaugurará el Pabellón de la Fe, el pabellón de la Santa Sede, centrado en los temas de la fraternidad y la interconexión de las culturas. Este pabellón, diseñado para transmitir un mensaje de paz al mundo, está organizado por el Consejo Musulmán de Ancianos en colaboración con la presidencia de la COP28, la Santa Sede, una coalición de socios religiosos y el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente.

“Laudate Deum”: Pope Francis’ Message on the Climate Crisis

Posted on by Diane Smyth

The Season of Creation has ended but the need for prayer, reflection and practical action on the environment continues.

In Laudate Deum, released today “to all people of good will”, Pope Francis shares his heartfelt concerns about the care needed for our common home. In the eight years since the publication of Laudato Si’ in 2015, the Pope says, “I have realized that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.” He continues, “the impact of climate change will increasingly prejudice the lives and families of many persons. We will feel its effects in the areas of healthcare, sources of employment, access to resources, housing, forced migrations, etc.”

In six chapters and 73 paragraphs the Pope points to the signs and human causes of climate change (ch. 1), stresses nature is a gift, not  to be exploited (ch. 2), adresses the weaknesses of international politics (ch. 3),describes the various climate conferences held to date (ch. 4) looks ahead to COP28  in November 2023 (ch. 5) and, reminding  his readers that the motivations for this commitment flow from the Christian faith, encourages  all faith groups to “accompany this pilgrimage of reconciliation with the world that is our home and to help make it more beautiful, because that commitment has to do with our personal dignity and highest values. At the same time, I cannot deny that it is necessary to be honest and recognize that the most effective solutions will not come from individual efforts alone, but above all from major political decisions on the national and international level”. (ch.6)

Watch: the video introduction to Laudate Deum



Read: Laudate Deum online or download a PDF copy

View the pictorial representation

Download: the complete set of Season of Creation Prayers produced by our Congregation

El Tiempo de la Creación ha terminado, pero la necesidad de oración, reflexión y acción práctica sobre el medio ambiente continúa.

En Laudato Deum, publicado hoy “a todos los hombres de buena voluntad”, el Papa Francisco comparte su sincera preocupación por el cuidado necesario de nuestra casa común. En los ocho años transcurridos desde la publicación de Laudato Si’ en 2015, dice el Papa, “me he dado cuenta de que nuestras respuestas no han sido adecuadas, mientras que el mundo en el que vivimos se derrumba y puede estar cerca del punto de ruptura.” Y continúa: “el impacto del cambio climático perjudicará cada vez más la vida y la familia de muchas personas. Sentiremos sus efectos en los ámbitos de la asistencia sanitaria, las fuentes de empleo, el acceso a los recursos, la vivienda, las migraciones forzosas, etc.”

En seis capítulos y 73 párrafos, el Papa señala los signos y las causas humanas del cambio climático (cap. 1), subraya que la naturaleza es un don que no debe ser explotado (cap. 2), aborda las debilidades de la política internacional (cap. 3), describe las diversas conferencias sobre el clima celebradas hasta la fecha (cap. 4), mira hacia la COP28 de noviembre de 2023 (cap. 5) y, recordando a sus lectores que las motivaciones de este compromiso emanan de la fe cristiana, anima a todos los grupos religiosos a “acompañar esta peregrinación de reconciliación con el mundo que es nuestra casa y ayudar a hacerlo más hermoso”. 5) y, recordando a sus lectores que las motivaciones de este compromiso emanan de la fe cristiana, anima a todos los grupos confesionales a “acompañar esta peregrinación de reconciliación con el mundo que es nuestra casa y contribuir a hacerlo más bello, porque ese compromiso tiene que ver con nuestra dignidad personal y nuestros valores más elevados”. Al mismo tiempo, no puedo negar que es necesario ser honestos y reconocer que las soluciones más eficaces no vendrán sólo de los esfuerzos individuales, sino sobre todo de las grandes decisiones políticas a nivel nacional e internacional”. (cap.6)

VEA: el vídeo de introducción a Laudate Deum

LEER: Laudato Deum en línea o descargue una copia en PDF

VER: la representación pictórica

DESCARGAR: el conjunto completo de oraciones del Tiempo de la Creación elaboradas por nuestra Congregación

Watch Launch of “Laudate Deum” on 4 October

Posted on by Diane Smyth

On 4 October, the feast day of St Francis and conclusion of the Season of Creation, Pope Francis will release Laudate Deum meaning “Praise God”, an ecology document intended to follow up on his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home.

Laudate Deum is an apostolic exhortation. As the category suggests, these are papal addresses urging consideration of a particular spiritual matter or activity, in this case the climate crisis. In the 8 years since Laudato Si’ was published, climate change has accelerated, evident in  record temperatures, Arctic-Antarctic meltdown, extreme droughts, storms, wildfires, loss of life and damage.

The launch of Laudate Deum will be live-streamed from Rome at 3:30pm Newfoundland time on 4 October.

Watch it here or view the recording later.