Caring for nature, caring for each other
A large crowd gathered on a breezy April 22 to honor creation and plant a flowering tree in the St. Clare Garden. Sister Bea Hernandez welcomed the attending sisters, Covenant Companions, OLA associates, and other guests; she invited them to sing, listen to the readings, and enjoy the blossoming garden. She noted, “In this Jubilee Year of 2025, we walk as Pilgrims of Hope. We join with billions of our sisters and brothers to honor Mother Earth and to recommit ourselves to caring for this, our common home. This is also a day to raise awareness about the dangers of pollution of our air, water, and land, the progressive loss of biodiversity, and the dangers of climate change.”
After listening to a reading from the works of nature writer Annie Dillard, attendees sang the refrain from Sacred Creation, based on a text from St. Francis of Assisi. Then people turned in each direction to thank God for Brother Fire (South), Sister Water (West), Father Air (North), and Mother Earth (East).
A reading from Laudato Si’ focused on an integrated approach to restoring dignity to the excluded while protecting nature. People quietly added mulch to the roots of the newly planted Japanese Ivory Silk Lilac Tree to aid in its growth.
Guests were encouraged to leave their own fingerprints on nature by decorating small stones and either placing them in the garden or taking them home for inspiration. The spirit of the ceremony was captured by the quote from nature writer Annie Dillard: “Be really present with your planetary host.”
