What the Gospel teaches us has consequences
on our way of thinking, feeling and living. (LS 216)
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical; the Laudato si’ Week, which this year we lived under the presidency of Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of COMMUNITY, FRATERNITY and CO-OPERATION. During that time, many Catholics and people of good will stood up with HOPE to earnestly pray together for peace, justice and the care for creation. It is an invitation to look at the world around us, at people and all of God’s creation with greater sensitivity and to find in faith the motivation to engage and care for our common home.
For me, the spirituality of Laudato si’ is nothing less than an evangelical lifestyle that we practice day by day with our small but extremely important choices. The key words in this “style” are: PROTECT, NURTURE, SUSTAIN, SAVE, LOVE. When in our communities, our works, our missions, in our daily lives, we take even the smallest steps of protecting life and good relationships, caring for creation, we are ‘not doing ecology’, but quite seriously FULFILLING GOD’S INTENT: God’s dream for creation. And this is beautiful and important.
The Day Care Centre of St Barbara’s Parish in Łęczna, where the FMM Sisters have been working for more than 30 years, is a place where children and young people are actively involved in various activities in the spirit of Laudato si’. As “ECO-CONSTRUCTORS”, we are constantly looking for ways to live in harmony with nature and promote sustainable development in our area: a local community associated on a daily basis with coal mining and the difficult work in the local mine.
Photovoltaics. We use solar energy to power part of our community centre. With it, we store energy and promote renewable sources of energy.
We collect rainwater, which we use to water our small gardens. This is a simple yet effective way to save drinking water.
We segregate waste regularly in our day care centre, teaching children and young people about responsible resource management. We reduce the use of plastic and use water dispensers.
We grow our own flower garden, planting and tending plants and flowers. This is not only a beautiful decoration, but also a way to promote biodiversity in our surroundings. We also have a small herb garden where we grow a variety of herbs and vegetables. This allows us to use fresh, organic produce in our canteen.
We organise interesting educational activities: there, the children can learn about environmental issues and sustainable development. During workshops, we learn about the fascinating world of creatures and their key role in the ecosystem.
Recycling. Social engagement. Education. We regularly organise waste paper collections, encouraging parish and town residents to actively participate. Recycling collections are not only an environmentally friendly activity, but also a way to integrate the local community around a common goal. Through those collections, we broaden our knowledge of the importance of recycling and responsible waste management.
Active and eco-friendly commuting. We have put up bike racks, encouraging children and young people to commute actively and ecologically to our centre. We organise bike rides, combined with learning about interesting natural places.
Ecological handicrafts. In sewing workshops, among other things, we make eco-bags from recycled materials, promoting the use of reusable bags.
Cleaning up the environment. We clean up the surroundings of our centre, taking care of the cleanliness and aesthetics of the places where we play, learn and relax.
Let us remember, God has invited us into the garden of the world not as tourists, but to ‘cultivate and tend it’ (cf. LS 67), facing each other, never turning our backs! As sisters and brothers in SOLIDARITY, TOGETHER, giving up every form of violence and domination. Join us in caring for the environment! It is a task for the coming days, months, years, for life.
Sr. Katarzyna Murawska FMM, Łęczna
parish community centre educator and LAUDATO SI’ animator
