Integrity of Creation: Oblate Response
A re-awakening of the religious vision of creation alongside a deepening consciousness of the ecological crisis that we all face has marked the response of the Oblates here in the United States and internationally. The General Council of the congregation, in the JPIC “Vade Mecum” published in 1996, has called on the members of the congregation to include this new reality in their missionary consciousness.
Across the United States, local oblate communities are continually searching for new ways to respond to this call. In 2003 the province formally established the Oblate Ecological Initiative and approved the founding of the Community Supported Garden at La Vista. In 2004 the parish eco-mission project was established to bring the message to local ministry sites across the country. Through the Faith Consistent Investment program the Oblates work with other religious and institutional investors to encourage corporations to include their environmental footprint in their business model.
The US Province passed an Environmental Resolution based on the Vade Mecum document. This Resolution was developed in order to guide decisions of the congregation with an affect the natural environment.
