Social justice ministry at Hightstown parish focuses on ‘our common home’
September 6, 2023 at 11:30 a.m.
Members of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, have a new initiative to help parishioners who want to learn more about the Catholic Church’s views on the environment.
Under the leadership of Terrence Thompson, the parish’s social justice committee has set out to raise awareness about Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” through forming partnerships with other parish ministries and by planning learning opportunities for the congregation.
Thompson, whose vast interest in environmental issues led him and his wife, Cheryl, to pursue training with the Laudato Si’s Animators program, explained that in the spring, the social justice committee hosted its first activity by showing the youth group “The Letter,” a film that tells the story of Pope Francis’ call to care for the earth. Then during the summer, the youth visited the Tulpehaking Nature Center in the Abbott Marshlands, where they learned basic techniques about studying aquatic ecology.
The teens saw how the wetland ecosystems are affected by their surrounding communities, and the benefits that communities derive from environmental resources like the marshland, Thompson explained. He added that one of the messages of “Laudato Si’” is that all things in nature are interconnected, and that message is well illustrated in the complex web of flora and fauna in the marshlands.
Thompson said the social justice ministry chose to work with the youth group based on previous collaborative experiences. Prior to the pandemic, the social justice committee had hosted environmental fairs and other activities such as environmental poster competitions for the youth and now wants to reconnect with the youth group. “Our recent activities around ‘Laudato Si’’ concepts naturally progressed from the good work that had been done before,” he said.
This year, after a three-year pandemic hiatus, Thompson said during this year’s “Season of Creation,” an environmental poster contest will be held for the youth and the theme will be on “The Letter,” focusing on the four main threads: voice of the poor, voice of the Indigenous people, voice of youth and voice of science and nature.
“We hope that the youth group members will reflect upon Pope Francis’ call for individuals to engage in a process that he calls ecological conversion, including prayer and contemplation, learning more about nature, observance of the Sabbath day of rest and reduced participation in materialistic forms of consumer culture,” he said.
The first collaborative effort on the environment was well received by the youth, said Nancy Solarski, a social justice committee co-chair.
“Although we are in the beginning stages, our hope is that we will be able to show ‘The Letter’ on a parish level and then have small group discussions on how we might be able to care for our common earth,” said Solarski.
“Many of the youth were not aware of the issues with the environment or the Pope’s view on this,” Solarski said. “I thought it was eye-opening for them and gave them all much to think about.”
Kimberly Jaramillo, a youth group adult leader, concurred.
“It’s important to teach our young people about ‘Laudato Si’’ because many, including myself, may still be unaware of issues relating to the environment and climate change,” said Jaramillo, noting that the youth group includes about 15 teens between the ages of 12 and 17.
“Most importantly, we may not know that it is our responsibility as people of faith to protect and take care of our common home, the earth,” Jaramillo continued. “The youth need to know that they also have a voice in climate action. We have the power to make a meaningful change and shape a more sustainable future for generations to come and it’s time to get to work.”
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Members of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, have a new initiative to help parishioners who want to learn more about the Catholic Church’s views on the environment.
Under the leadership of Terrence Thompson, the parish’s social justice committee has set out to raise awareness about Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” through forming partnerships with other parish ministries and by planning learning opportunities for the congregation.
Thompson, whose vast interest in environmental issues led him and his wife, Cheryl, to pursue training with the Laudato Si’s Animators program, explained that in the spring, the social justice committee hosted its first activity by showing the youth group “The Letter,” a film that tells the story of Pope Francis’ call to care for the earth. Then during the summer, the youth visited the Tulpehaking Nature Center in the Abbott Marshlands, where they learned basic techniques about studying aquatic ecology.
The teens saw how the wetland ecosystems are affected by their surrounding communities, and the benefits that communities derive from environmental resources like the marshland, Thompson explained. He added that one of the messages of “Laudato Si’” is that all things in nature are interconnected, and that message is well illustrated in the complex web of flora and fauna in the marshlands.
Thompson said the social justice ministry chose to work with the youth group based on previous collaborative experiences. Prior to the pandemic, the social justice committee had hosted environmental fairs and other activities such as environmental poster competitions for the youth and now wants to reconnect with the youth group. “Our recent activities around ‘Laudato Si’’ concepts naturally progressed from the good work that had been done before,” he said.
This year, after a three-year pandemic hiatus, Thompson said during this year’s “Season of Creation,” an environmental poster contest will be held for the youth and the theme will be on “The Letter,” focusing on the four main threads: voice of the poor, voice of the Indigenous people, voice of youth and voice of science and nature.
“We hope that the youth group members will reflect upon Pope Francis’ call for individuals to engage in a process that he calls ecological conversion, including prayer and contemplation, learning more about nature, observance of the Sabbath day of rest and reduced participation in materialistic forms of consumer culture,” he said.
The first collaborative effort on the environment was well received by the youth, said Nancy Solarski, a social justice committee co-chair.
“Although we are in the beginning stages, our hope is that we will be able to show ‘The Letter’ on a parish level and then have small group discussions on how we might be able to care for our common earth,” said Solarski.
“Many of the youth were not aware of the issues with the environment or the Pope’s view on this,” Solarski said. “I thought it was eye-opening for them and gave them all much to think about.”
Kimberly Jaramillo, a youth group adult leader, concurred.
“It’s important to teach our young people about ‘Laudato Si’’ because many, including myself, may still be unaware of issues relating to the environment and climate change,” said Jaramillo, noting that the youth group includes about 15 teens between the ages of 12 and 17.
“Most importantly, we may not know that it is our responsibility as people of faith to protect and take care of our common home, the earth,” Jaramillo continued. “The youth need to know that they also have a voice in climate action. We have the power to make a meaningful change and shape a more sustainable future for generations to come and it’s time to get to work.”