By Sr Prema Chowallur SCC –
Pune: Coinciding with the ‘Season of Creation’, the Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod (SCC), Pune inaugurated an initiative to respond to the cry of the Earth. Incidentally the sisters held various virtual seminars to promulgate and motivate the sisters and to plan for the celebration of ‘Season of Creation’ that began from September 1st and ending on 4th October with the theme suggested by World Council of Churches (WCC) “Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope.”
The JPIC Commission reiterated to the Sisters and communities the invitation of Pope Francis to join the Season of Creation. The Encyclical Laudato Si was published in 2015 and the year 2020 is a special anniversary of Laudato Si.
The sisters of every province planned to take a theme for each week and organise outdoor prayer services and rosaries where they can be consciously in touch with nature and dwell more on God’s presence here and now. “May the Sisters of the Cross make difference in the Church and in the world with our committed efforts”, said Sr.Laisa Peter the coordinator of the program, Guwahati Province. A month-long program is expected to awaken a sense of justice to the earth. The celebration will end on 4th of October (Feast of St. Francis of Assisi) by blessing the animals that are in and around the house.
“We inaugurated the ‘Season of Creation’ on 1st September with prayer services in the morning and evening highlighting the theme during the Eucharistic Celebration. Pictures that are appropriate to the occasion and appropriate quotes are displayed in convents and parishes. Some of our sisters have decided to use this occasion to disseminate awareness on environmental degradation and individual responsibility along with measures to save the earth. In that context, we are organizing series of webinar on Laudato Si“, said Sr. Flory Menezes of Pune Province.
The sisters inaugurated the Season of Creation by setting up kitchen gardens through providing them with variety of saplings for 100 farming women to maintain a balance diet and good health. They distributed 2,000 seedlings on the occasion to mark the day. They have decided to undertake more activities like setting up soak pits to save water and to keep the environment clean and green.
The Sisters of other provinces have made choices and decisions both personally and collectively to follow the ‘R formula’ (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) in their day to day life.
According to Sr. Irudayamary of Madurai Province, they have collectively decided to plant trees on 14th September on the feast day of the Congregation. There is also a collective decision to make arrangements for rainwater harvesting system in the communities. Sr. Puspa Cruz from Peru is planning for radio program and webinars on ‘Season of Creation’ and ‘Laudato Si’ to the people for awareness and motivation.
“There is also a firm decision by the sisters to make the campuses free of plastic,” said Sr. Specioza from East Africa. The sisters are advised to make sacrifices for things like ‘use and throw’ articles that would make their life easy and comfortable in order to save the mother earth from pollution.
There are also initiatives to undertake campaigns to reduce carbon foot print and promotion of organic cultivation practices. “We are attempting to create a ripple effect on mother earth by adopting life styles conducive to the protection of environment” said Sr. Vinnarasi of Trichi Province.
“The JPIC Commission is unequivocal when it reiterated on justice, peace and compassion to the earth, we feel this is the way to join with the Churches in support of our earth. A new order is certainly possible if we consciously do acts of kindness and other centeredness for our future generations,” Sr Vinnarasi added.