Square Box/Round Earth: The Campaign Workshops Begin

Ecological Justice: from seed to flower

"I was just struck by this idea of the big box store," reflected Tom, building on an earlier comment, "What we are trying to do is take the Earth, which is round, and turn it into a square box."  A big box is efficient, economical etc. etc. but is not our planet.  We can't turn a round planet into a square box. But we are trying and we are destroying our home in the process.




It was an apt reflection by our Simcoe County zone rep as we kicked off a new five-year campaign on ecological justice in a three and a half hour formation session.  I am so grateful for Becky Johnson and her team at St. Mary's parish in Barrie (Jack, Darlene, Joanne).  They do such a great job hosting these annual gatherings for the northern part of the Toronto Archdiocese. Thank-you!

Fifteen people spent the morning of October 15th exploring the meaning of ecological justice and looking at how supporting small-scale agriculture can help reduce climate change. This was the first of 6 similar workshops offered across the whole archdiocese. For information to attend other dates click here

What a 'silent discussion' looks like.

Participants delved into this year's D&P campaign materials by rotating through 5 different stations each named for one of the five theological principles guiding our work for the next five years: Integral Human Development,  Sacredness of the Earth, Option for the Poor, The Common Good, and Solidarity.  Activities ranged from negotiating climate deals to 'silent group discussion'.



 We ended our time together by watching the campaign DVD for this year and praying the litany for the earth: "Encourage us Lord, that we might have the courage to press for changes by the principalities and powers of our society." 

'Bottled Water-Free Zone' Cake.

Saturday and I was on the road again - this time to Peterborough.  On tap for the day: a morning campaign workshop at St. Anne's with local D&P members, followed by a retreat on Caritas in Veritate.  I posted the drops from the Barrie workshop on the wall.  As you can see, the stream grew a bit more as participants added their own drops. It was a creative morning. 

This time round we chose a pregnant mother to handle the water gun.  Needless to say Amanda encountered less resistance than fair-trade Bob did in Barrie. 

To celebrate the start of the campaign, Karen Staunton baked a beautiful 'bottled water free-zone' cake.  What delicious artistry! Karen is an amazing D&P member who leads the group at St. Anne's and knows how to get things done.

Now I have done a lot of workshops but when it comes to retreats I'm a definite newbie.  Leading a retreat on Caritas in Veritate was new territory for me.  However, the group warmed up to me from the moment I began singing that Hal David classic, "What the World Needs Now is Love."  This essentially is the message of Pope Benedict's encyclical.  It is so simple as to be dismissed as cliche, however the implications are deep and far reaching.  Love must be the force behind our efforts as a global human family - neither the market nor government institutions are sufficient to bring about the development we need.  What is needed is a mobilization of the heart.  According to Catholic Social Teaching, to develop is not just to do more, know more and have more.  To develop is to be more. We believe in integral human development, the development of the whole person and every person (no short order).  But what is it to 'be more'? This is where the Truth comes in.  Rather than the truth being a set of doctrines or rules, truth is found when we open ourselves to listening to the other and finding the laws written by God on our human hearts.  Indeed it is here that we find the very splendour and glory of God.  For us as Catholics, Love in Truth is a powerful force that opens us to what it is to be more.  Throughout the afternoon we explored those depths as a group.

After the retreat we celebrated mass together.  How lovely it was to have Fr. Bill ask us to stand and be acknowledged by everyone gathered for mass that evening at St. Anne's.  It was as precious an applause as I have ever received. After dinner we ate cake -  'bottled water-free zone' cake.