Latest OMI JPIC News
Introducing the Lavista Learning Garden June 17th, 2020
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since its inception in 2001, La Vista Ecological Learning Center has taught that how we eat determines, to a great extent, how we care for creation. That is why we were aligned with the Community Supported Garden at La Vista for 15 years. Since that project ended in 2019, we have established La Vista Learning Garden under the umbrella of the Oblate Ecological Initiative.
MISSION
The Learning Garden will be a model and gathering place for novices and area participants to learn and practice:
- sustainable gardening skills like creating a garden plan organic soil preparation and fertilization crop rotation choosing vegetables and their planting times methods for harvesting vegetables growing fruit trees native flower propagation a variety of composting methods
- raising and caring for chickens
- backyard beekeeping
- cooking and nutrition
- hand-carving kitchen utensils
- DIY recycled garden decorations
STAFF
Vernon DePauw is our head gardener and teacher. He is a nationally known wood carver as well as a backyard gardener, poultryman, and beekeeper. Vernon has been a presenter at the Learning Center for several years. Vernon is faithfully supported by his wife Kathy who is also a volunteer.
Sister Maxine collaborates with Vernon to plan, organize, advertise and execute programs.
Volunteers – A small group of volunteers contribute their skills.
This project has been made possible with the support, encouragement and help of Seamus Finn, OMI, and OMI Novitiate Leadership: Pat McGee, Frank Kuczera and Humphrey Milimo.
[Novices and Vernon with hives built by Vernon and painted by novices.]
Desinversión en minería: una responsabilidad por asumir July 6th, 2021
Roberto Carrasco Rojas, OMI
Con la Laudato Si’ hemos empezado no sólo a soñar sino a dar respuestas concretas. Con la Laudato Si’ hemos empezado a articular mejor nuestro actuar como Iglesia. Con la Laudato Si’ hemos empezado a rescatar el valor de la sinodalidad en la Iglesia. Tenemos como Iglesia Samaritana una tarea por concretizar. Tenemos como congregaciones misioneras una responsabilidad por asumir.
La pregunta cae por su propio peso: ¿Qué amenaza a la casa común, pero especialmente a la Panamazonía? Se trata de una amenaza que termina degradando no sólo el ambiente, sino también la persona humana y todo su entorno social. Se trata de una forma de hacer minería, pero de manera irresponsable. Ella representa una de las más grandes amenazas en toda la región panamazónica. Frente a ella ningún estado se siente o pretende ser independiente. Se trata de economías que se basan en la depredación de los territorios y, por ende, de la vida de las poblaciones indígenas y ribereñas que se encuentran en la región. Poblaciones que con el paso de la pandemia Covid 19 se recrudece su situación de vulnerabilidad.
Hace unos días un evento reunía a laicos y consagrados a dialogar en un seminario virtual cuyo tema fue “las Iglesias y las alternativas a economías de desigualdades”. Actividad organizada por la Red Iglesias y Minerías junto a la Confederación Latinoamericana de Religiosos y Religiosas – CLAR. Los temas tratados continúan interpelándonos como creyentes frente al Evangelio que pone al pobre en el centro de la Evangelización. Inequidades e injusticias que van en aumento. El empobrecimiento de la casi la totalidad de los habitantes; la contaminación de las aguas de los ríos, cochas y quebradas; un continente bendecido con tantas materias primas que terminan en las manos de unas pocas familias.
“En Guatemala, para la Mina Marlin llegó a ocupar en una hora 250.000 litros de agua. Lo que equivale a la cantidad de agua que una familia campesina del área usa durante 22 años. En Argentina, las madres han tenido que bañar a sus hijos con el agua que saben que está envenenada con cianuro derramado por la Barrick Gold, para le extracción minera.
Los cuerpos son envenenados, las extensiones de los cuerpos, amputados, heridos, masacrados.
Estos episodios como muchos otros que se viven de forma permanente en muchos territorios de nuestras América Latina, en donde los intereses transnacionales y del capital, actúan por encima de las personas, las familias, la madre tierra, la vida.
Como vemos, la minería está íntimamente ligada a la injusticia climática y a la profundización de una economía de desigualdades”. Resuena así las palabras de Daniela Andrade, una mujer laica que forma parte de la campaña de desinversión en minería.
América Latina es una región donde sus líderes y defensores del ambiente siguen siendo asesinados. Tal es el caso del joven líder indígena asháninka, Mario Marcos López Huanca, un defensor ambiental de la Reserva Comunal El Sira, que perdió la vida a causa de un disparo en la cabeza. El hecho ocurrió el último lunes 28 de mayo en Puerto Bermúdez, región Pasco – Perú. Es el séptimo líder defensor ambiental asesinado en lo que va desde el inicio de la pandemia Covid 19 en el Perú.
Se evidencia con este hecho que se trataría de un modelo económico extractivista que estaría atentando contra la vida y la integridad de las personas. América Latina es un continente desigual y de descartados (para no decir marginados). América Latina es un continente donde las empresas provenientes de Norte América y Europa siguen acumulando grandes capitales y muchos privilegios.
“Se llevaron el oro de nuestras tierras. Y ahora nuestros manantiales de agua están afectados. Nuestras casas están agrietadas, y tenemos enfermedades en la piel. Y ahora la empresa se marcha. Han obtenido buenos beneficios con lo que llevaron de San Miguel a Canadá. Y nosotros, nos quedamos con el daño que se ha hecho”. Es el testimonio de Crisanta López, líder de la resistencia de la Mina Marlin, en Guatemala – Centro América, quien con profundo dolor nos compartió en el evento un resumen de lo que ha significado la minería para su comunidad en su país.
¿Qué están pensando aquellos que tienen sus inversiones en este tipo de rubros? Recordemos que en el Sínodo para la Región Panamazónica del 2019 “asumimos y apoyamos las campañas de desinversión de compañías extractivas relacionadas al daño socio-ecológico de la Amazonía” (Sínodo de los Obispos. Asamblea Especial para la región panamazónica, Documento Final, 70). ¿Cómo, dónde y quiénes toman las decisiones sobre estos territorios?
Y nosotros como Iglesia Samaritana, como congregaciones misioneras hacia dónde estamos apuntando. “La campaña busca una acción coherente y ética para el manejo de sus inversiones…”, nos lo recuerda Daniela Andrade.
Congratulations to Fr. Andrew Small, OMI on his Vatican Appointment June 29th, 2021
Pope Francis has appointed Andrew Small, O.M.I., a 53-year-old English priest, as the secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The appointment is “pro tempore,” meaning his appointment is either temporary or, more likely, subject to change or development.
Father Small, a talented organizer, fundraiser and legal expert, succeeds Msgr. Robert Oliver, who returns to work in the Archdiocese of Boston after serving eight years as the secretary of the commission. The commission expressed its “heartfelt” thanks to Monsignor Oliver for his dedicated service over these years.
Read the full article at America Magazine
2021 World Refugee Day is June 20 June 18th, 2021
(Content courtesy of Washington Interfaith Staff Coalition)
The world continues to face an increase in forced migration, with a record 26.4 million refugees and 48 million internally displaced peoples. Every June 20th, we celebrate World Refugee Day which is a great opportunity to highlight the stories of refugees, asylees and asylum seekers and all of the events that refugee agencies, community groups, faith communities and humanitarian volunteers bring together. This World Refugee Day, we reflect on what #RestoringWelcome means for our communities and the journey that lays ahead.
Resources for World Refugee Day 2021
Take action:
- Contact your Members of Congress to urge them to support restoring the U.S. refugee resettlement program.
Pray:
- Watch this 40-minute ecumenical prayer service for World Refugee Day, featuring the words of Maryknoll missioners working with refugees and the voices of refugees who have been resettled with the help of U.S. faith communities.
- Pray this prayer for World Refugee Day 2021.
Learn:
- Explore this toolkit from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, featuring prayer, education, and action materials
- Read our two-page issue brief on refugee policy from the 2020 election season.
2021 Summer Institute: Racism as Soul Sickness June 11th, 2021
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OMI JPIC is proud to co-sponsor this event with the Oblate School of Theology
Registration: $75 | REGISTER TODAY @ THIS LINK
Racism, for all its overt manifestation in our daily lives, is never a conscious thing. No one identifies himself or herself as a racist. But racism is unconsciously embedded in the DNA of most every culture and the soul of most every one of us. We aren’t always conscious of what’s ill inside of either our bodies or our souls. This series of lectures and discussions will examine the issue of racism by drawing upon the experience of Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans.
Featured Speakers:
- Rev. Dr. Bryan Massingale, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and is currently James and Nancy Buckman Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University and the Senior Fellow in its Center for Ethics Education. A leader in Catholic theology, he is President-Elect of the Society of Christian Ethics. He is also a former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and a former Convener of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium.
- Dr. Teresa Maya, CCVI, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio since 1994. Her ministry has been in education. She has served as teacher, history professor, and administrator. She has passion for the formation of ministers for Hispanics/Latinos in the United States.
- Dr. KimOanh Nguyen-Lam, life-long learner and educator who had served as a teacher, mentor, advisor, leader and now bringing all of those experiences together as an executive coach. Her passion has always been engaging with people to promote mutual learning and growth to advance social and educational equity and justice.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Presenter |
| Monday, June 14 | 7 pm Central | Rev. Dr. Bryan N. Massingale |
| Tuesday, June 15 | 3 pm Central | Dr. Teresa Maya, CCVI |
| 7 pm Central | Rev. Dr. Bryan N. Massingale | |
| Wednesday, June 16 | 3 pm Central | Dr. KimOanh Nguyen-Lam |
| 7 pm Central | Rev. Dr. Bryan N. Massingale |
Schedule
- Monday, June 14, 7 pm (Central) | The Ethical Challenge of White Nationalism
- Tuesday, June 15, 7 pm (Central) | “Who is God?” Our Image of God and Its Social Consequences
- Wednesday, June 16, 7 pm (Central) | A Spirituality of Racial Metanoia: Loving Blackness in an Anti-Black World
This event will be recorded and will be available for viewing, for a limited time. 24 hours after the conclusion of the Institute, a follow-up email will be sent that will include instructions on how to re-watch.
Students, staff, and faculty from Oblate School of Theology may attend for free. Please email continuinged@ost.edu with your name and institutional email address. You will be added to the attendees list and receive an access link by email the day prior to the event.
For information contact Continuing Education at continuinged@ost.edu or (210) 341-1366 EXT 240
Founded in 1903, the Oblate School of Theology is a Catholic graduate, professional and seminary school that provides education in Catholic theology for the church’s mission and ministry in the world. An avenue to bring together different cultures, Oblate empowers through education.
Webinar: The Transition of Religious Congregations to Integral Ecology May 18th, 2021
“The Transition of Religious Congregations to Integral Ecology“
Registration link: bit.ly/2S13pmS
Join in: Laudato Si’ Week is from May 16-25, 2021 May 14th, 2021
Laudato Si’ Week 2021, to be held May 16-25, will be the crowning event of the Special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year, and a celebration of the great progress the whole Church has made on its journey to ecological conversion. Visit the website: https://laudatosiweek.org/
Laudato Si’ Week 2021 will also be a time to reflect on what the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us and prepare for the future with hope.
Press Release: Laudato Si’ Week 2021 to feature Cardinals, Catholic leaders, world-renowned speakers and authors
