Major Livestock Producing Countries Commit to Mitigate Methane in Agriculture  - article from the Global Methane Hub:   https://www.globalmethanehub.org/ Les pays d'élevage les plus importants s'engagent à limiter les émissions de méthane dans l'agriculture                                           - voir traduction ci-dessous Cover Photo: Leaders from 20 countries, representing 50% of agricultural methane emissions at the First Ministerial Meeting on Lower Emission Food Systems, Santiago, Chile, April 2023. [Photo de couveture] Les responsables de 20 pa...

This week's post was sent to us by Fr Francois Grossin SM, New Caledonia, from NZ Catholic, 6th March 2023. It is an address from Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi who is the first ever cardinal from Tonga and the youngest member of the College of Cardinals. He is also the President of Caritas Oceania and represents the region on key issues, especially climate change.    Traduction française : voir ci-dessous : Across the Pacific, people are picking up the bones of their ancestors like shells on the beach. Burial grounds are being washed away by rising tides. Communities are shoring up seawalls with old tyres. I was raised on the beautiful island of Tonga. When I was a child, my par...

No-Dig Gardening   [written by Ross Flint, Marist Associate, Tasmania] - [écrit par Ross Flint, associé mariste, Tasmanie] Part 1 - Why undertake no-dig gardening in the growing of crops? Before explaining "How?" we need to address the prior question "Why?" Most soil already has a good structure for plant roots to grow, and is full of growth-enabling organisms. Millions of fungal threads, nematodes and earthworms, to name a few, are being helpful right under our feet, mostly out of sight. We need to help them to help us. You have already started no-dig without knowing! Since the last time you dug or tilled or forked your soil, it has been healing itself, with networks of fungi...

Child Labor- now and then   [article sent by Jim Carty sm - Australia] The NOW How many times each day do you use your iPhone, or your Cell-Phone of whatever you call it. Next time you do, think of the "rare-earth" metal cobalt hidden inside- a critical component- Then ask yourself: where did it come from and who mined it and how was it mined? Chances are it came from the so-called Democratic Republic of Congo which is the world's largest cobalt mine, and was mined by either a large international Company or by one method known as artisanal mining That is to say, by a small-scale miner (ASM) who is a subsistence miner not officially employed by a mining company, but works independen...

Marist Charism and Peace-making This last week, on 01 December, Marists from 4 corners of the world made Presentations on our Marist Charism and Peace-making.The Marists Presenting were: Fr Hermes [Larry] Sabud – Ranong Thailand; SMSM Sisters Gisèle, Christiana, & Monique – Ngozi, Burundi, Africa; Fr Miguel Contreras – Peru, South America; and Fr Donato Kivi – Fiji, Oceania. The invitation came from the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission – JPIC Roma – who organize a workshop each year to train JPIC Promoters for Religious Congregations around the world. The Workshop was run this year from 28 November until 02 December, and had the Theme: Pacem in Terris and Laudato Si i...

Ross Flint, Marist Associate, and ordained member of the Anglican Communion, Tasmania, sends this short, stark, report – in the context of COP27 "World is on 'highway to climate hell",  - United Nations General Secretary warns at COP27 summit. António Guterres tells leaders 'global climate fight will be won or lost in this crucial decade – on our watch' In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as a framework for international cooperation to combat climate change by limiting average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change, and coping with impacts that were, by then, inevitable. https://unfccc....

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, or COP27, is being held as the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, and occurs from 6 November until 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. One way we can all partake in the present and future care of our common home is through a Contemplative exercise – Earth Examen. The one below comes from the Season of Creation website.  Contemplation - Earth Examen: An examen is a way of beholding an object or being in prayerful wonder. Through questions, you are invited to reflect on God's presence and the goodness of that which you behold. Consider contempla...

 Pope Francis—united to all the Bishops and Catholic faithful around the world— consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Friday 25th March, the feast of the Annunciation. The Act of Consecration was prayed during the "24 Hours for the Lord" Lenten penitential service led from St. Peter's Basilica, which began at 5 PM Rome time. The official text is below - and offered for ongoing prayer and reflection:  O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care a...

Francois Grossin sm, in New Caledonia, sent this article - November 2021 - relevant now and in the years ahead. In the Pacific, maritime borders threatened by rising sea levels and land erosion:     With rising sea levels and the erosion of their islands, Pacific states fear that their maritime boundaries will be lowered. They want to preserve their marine spaces or EEZs, Exclusive Economic Zones, as registered by the United Nations. From the Pacific Islands Forum to COP 26, the leaders of the countries affected by the rising waters carried their fight. To avoid losing their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and becoming high seas areas open to all states, they drafted a De...

Our Marist Confreres in Bahia, Brazil are developing a Marian Ecological Project, and send this report:   Humanity at the moment finds itself with an urban environment where contact with nature is increasingly difficult and this is creating social and environmental problems such as: air pollution, destruction of natural resources, local climate change, floods, slips, lack of recreational space as well as psychological difficulties associated with an excess of information and the stress of daily living. This being the case it is necessary to maintain the green space that belongs to the Parish of Our Lady, Mother of God and Humanity (Caetité Diocese) in Palmas de Monte Alto, Bahia. W...

The Earthshot Prize is awarded by the Royal Foundation to five winners each year for their contributions to environmentalism. It was first awarded in 2021 and is planned to run annually until 2030. Each winner receives a grant of £1 million to continue their environmental work.  Justin Taylor SM presented the following text from recent BBC News :  There were five winners announced in London, each receiving £1m. Prince William was joined by stars including Emma Watson, Dame Emma Thompson and David Oyelowo for the ceremony at Alexandra Palace. Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and KSI were among the acts that performed - and in keeping with the eco message, the music was powered by 60 cyclis...

Fr Tony O'Connor sm writes to us from Brownsville, USA, on the Mexican Border:  RECYCLING ON THE UNDERSIDE AND OVER THE GREAT DIVIDE:     Introduction: It is difficult to write in this time of political transition. Biden's Agenda priority on migration reform will need time. Hopefully the culture will change slightly and gradually, and compassion and some executive orders lead to more moderation. The "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" (D.A.C.A) order will increase help to younger ones brought here to the US when they were kids. COVID properly tackled should gradually allow the border to open fully and maybe asylum seekers will be permitted to cross the bridges o...

At this time when the whole world is preoccupied with the Corona Virus Covid-19, how are we, as People of Faith, called to think, pray, and act?  God's name, and nature, is revealed to us as "I am with you". This is the name of the God who began the unfolding of Creation some 13.8 billion years ago; who formed our planet some 4 billion years ago, brought about the human emergence some 200,000 years ago, revealed this name to Moses some 3,500 years ago, to Isaiah some 2,700 years ago, and married himself to us and his creation some 2000 years ago in the person in Jesus - the eternal, generative Word, become flesh.Our God is with us in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.God ...

​From Sydney, Australia, Ron Nissen shares an initiative of the Marist Family JPIC Committee… Living on the Pacific rim brings ecological issues very close to where we live, especially the dramatic effects of climate change on rising sea levels for our island neighbours. These people were the first we knew in the pioneer missions of the Society of Mary. Indeed, our own sunburnt and flood-ridden country is suffering as never before from environmental changes. And so we couldn't – nor would we want to – ignore the challenge of Laudato Si. It is a key ongoing item on our agenda. Two questions Beginning with our own domestic scenes we asked two questions: 'What are we doing?' and 'What more...

Fr William Rowland sm, President of Marist School, Atlanta, USA recently sent this plan from his Staff, for the Season of Creation.   " We met yesterday to discuss ideas on how we here at Marist can best observe and honor the Season of Creation. Our idea is to focus on different sustainability practices each week. Below is an outline of the schedule: Sept 2-6 – Introduction of the Season of Creation through morning prayers and announcements Sept 9-13 – "Sorting Waste" – We will send a video made by Emma McEvoy that instructs students on how to properly sort their waste at lunch to foundations and advisories for viewing. Members of the environment club will also help students s...

Donato Kivi sm, Superior of Marist College Suva, writes:      As part of our development at the Marist Eco-Center Dawasamu - some 70 km north of Suva -  some of our community members took time out during their semester break to build two water dams for our aquaculture project. This is an initiative on climate change adaptation, where the aquaculture on land in ponds is an option for the impact of climate on coral reefs (rise in seawater temperatures) that has disturbed marine life. ​ Fish are becoming scarce living inshore where locals use to fish. At the Centre which is situated along the coast, we want to model aquaculture as another way of helping coastal peo...

​Fr Ókustino Epokifoóu writes from Tanna Island, Vanuatu, where the Gospel first arrived in the 19th Century but met strong resistance. Cargo cults are still active – especially the John Frum cult.It is one of the least developed islands in Vanuatu, and one of the most populated – with some 29,000 people who live mainly from subsistence farming. The Marists were called on mission there in the 1980's. Tanna was one of the Islands most devastated by Cyclone Pam [Category 5] in March 2015 – destroying homes, schools and Churches.The current Marist Community are Fr Eneriko Nacolarara [Sup/PP – Fiji], Okustino Epokifo'ou [VSup/Bur -Tonga], and Louis Maite [Vanuatu - Education]. I enjoy the work h...

After the final no there comes a yes, and on that yes the future of the world depends. The above quote, and this article, are presented by Peter Healy sm, NZ, member of the SM Commission for Ecology. These words from the poet Wallace Stevens, are favourite lines of Al Gore the ex American vice-President. He uses them in his environmental campaigning.The nos we hear all around us are many and varied."No, things are not that bad.No, a solution will be found to all this. No, all we need is faith in God.No worries, I can carry on as usual, it's the really bad guys who need to change.No need to to do anything I'll be dead and buried by the time it's a real problem".We hope these nos are growing w...