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2025 Season of Creation: Sacred Heart Church, Oakland, CA Celebrates October 9th, 2025
(Contributed by Fr. Jack Lau OMI, Sacred Heart Church, Oakland, CA)
The last weekends of the Season of Creation were one of pilgrimage, planting and blessing. On Saturday, September 27th members of the Green Team at Sacred Heart Church, Oakland, joined the Laudato Si California Pilgrimage from the Newman Hall/Holy Spirit Parish at U.C. Berkeley to St. Mary Magdalen Parish to celebrate a Mass presided by Fr. Wilson Adelakasami SVD, cousin of Fr. Martin Savarimutu, OMI (India), who gave a sermon/class on Laudato Si and the prophet Amos.
On October 4th, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, we had a relic of St. Francis at the weekend Masses at Sacred Heart and that evening watched the movie “Brother Sun Sister Moon“. On Sunday, October 5th we hosted the annual blessing of animals and the planting of native milkweed seeds.
From beginning to end, we remained mindful of our vocation to care for our common home as we listened to the cry of the poor and of Mother Earth.
(Photos courtesy of Carrie Lee McClish)
Returning to Roots: Fr. Valentine Talang’s Heartfelt Visit to Rajshahi Diocese, Bangladesh October 9th, 2025
(Contributed by Fr. Valentine Talang, OMI – OMI Bangladesh)
Fr. Ronald Abad, OMI from the Philippines and I visited St. Paul’s parish, Rajshahi Diocese, Bangladesh. The Santal Indigenous community welcomed us with their traditional customs.
I did my first priestly ministry in this parish in 2010. People were so happy to see us after such a long time. Fr. Ronald came to preach at our annual retreat this year and was pleased to visit our OMI Missions.
Concluding the 2025 Season of Creation – “Seeds of Peace and Hope” October 8th, 2025
(By Maurice Lange, Justice & Peace Director at Presentation Sisters & founder of the Oblate Ecological Initiative)
“An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness.” (Laudato Si #230)
READ: 9th (final) part of Pope Leo’s letter for the 2025 Season of Creation (view PDF)
Photo: “La Vista” from bluffs overlooking the mile-wide Mississippi River – home of Oblate Ecological Initiative & La Vista Ecological Learning Center
REFLECTION: “Among the Church’s initiatives that are like seeds sown in this field…”. In this critical time, I am SO heartened to see the Church sowing the seeds of ecological initiatives. In addition to the Borgo Laudato Si project, examples from the Laudato Si Movement and Catholic Climate Covenant inspire! These ministries are the fruits started as seed from Pope John Paul II in 1990: “A new ecological awareness is beginning to emerge which, rather than being downplayed, ought to be encouraged to develop into concrete programs and initiatives.”
* What integral ecology project, initiative or ministry inspires & challenges you?
ACTION: This Season of Creation has been completed, and, our work continues: as there are plenty of models out there of anything but integral ecology. Why not become the change you wish to see in the world? Encourage and join with others as models in becoming seeds of peace and hope which will indeed multiply… and bear much fruit
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Visit the Presentation Sisters, US Province’s WEBSITE
READ MORE OF MAURICE’S WEEKLY REFLECTIONS
- Week 1: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 2: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 3: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 4: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 5: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 6: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 7: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 8: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 9: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
Faith Investor Summit Charts the Path Forward October 3rd, 2025
Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI pictured with Cardinal Peter Turkson (L) & Rev. David Schilling (R)
2025 Season of Creation: “Seeds of Peace and Hope” Reflection #6 October 1st, 2025
(By Maurice Lange, Justice & Peace Director at Presentation Sisters & founder of the Oblate Ecological Initiative)
“The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.” (Laudato Si #84)
READ: 6th part of Pope Leo’s letter for the 2025 Season of Creation (view PDF)
Maurice tills his garden
REFLECTION: “The biblical texts…tell us to ‘till and keep’ the garden of the world.” Pope Leo quotes or references Pope Francis’ legacy 10 times in this letter! Here we read from Laudato Si (paragraph 67-Reflection Page 2) about tilling and keeping. When I till my garden, I am working with it. I know that neither I nor my garden would exist without microbes.
That kind of recognition humbles one. > (humbles = humus = brought back to Earth)
Thomas Berry calls for humans to be in a mutually-enhancing relationship with Earth. Francis and Leo both set forth Thomas Berry’s call as implied in the sustainable wisdom of the Bible.
ACTION: Tyrants don’t consider microbes. We should! If we are to be effective in our ecological vocations, tilling and keeping, we should engage in wonder and awe at the billions of microbes in one teaspoon of healthy soil. Learn what is literally beneath your feet, and what you owe your life to, by watching this short video from the BBC: “Why Soil is One of Most Amazing Things on Earth”.
(Image 1: Garden: Maurice Lange)
(Image 2: Soil on a Farm: by Meganelford0, Pixabay)
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Visit the Presentation Sisters, US Province’s WEBSITE
READ MORE OF MAURICE’S WEEKLY REFLECTIONS
- Week 1: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 2: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 3: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 4: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 5: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 6: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 7: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection – COMING SOON
- Week 8: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection – COMING SOON
- Week 9: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection – COMING SOON
