Latest OMI JPIC News
La Vista Ecological Learning Center Launches an Exploration of Laudato Si through Field Trips January 6th, 2022
By Sister Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Center
OMI Novices and Sister Maxine are finding concepts in Laudato Si come alive through field trips in the Godfrey area. In the encyclical Pope Francis calls us to “become painfully aware, to dare to turn what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it.” That is our goal, and our first field trip explored chapter one, “What Is Happening to Our Common Home,” focusing on pollution, waste, and the throwaway culture.
We began by driving across the river in order to pass close to the coal-fired Sioux Power Plant which generates our electricity, and which is visible from the Novitiate. With our own eyes we saw pollution spewing out of the stack, 3 million tons of coal ash, and ponds of polluted wastewater. The encyclical states, “Each year hundreds of millions of waste are generated, much of it non-biodegradable, highly toxic and radioactive,… from industrial sources. The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.” Seeing this up close was a sobering experience and helped us understand why fossil fuels need to be replaced with clean, renewable energy if we are to counter pollution and toxic waste.
Read the full article at OMIUSA.org.
Wishing You a Blessed Christmas! December 22nd, 2021
Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Natal, মেরি ক্রিসমাস!!
And wishing you a prosperous New Year.
Ask Congress to extend the expanded Child Tax Credit to support families and fight child poverty! December 17th, 2021
Photo Courtesy of Pexels, Karolina-grabowska
This month, an estimated 35 million families will receive a monthly Child Tax Credit payment to help make ends meet. This will be the last monthly payment unless Congress acts to maintain the expanded Child Tax Credit. The expanded credit has been an extremely effective anti-poverty program, lifting 3.8 million children above the poverty line. If the expanded credit expires, the amount of help families receive will shrink, monthly payments will end, roughly one-third of households will no longer be eligible to receive the full credit because their incomes are too low, and the lowest-income families will be cut off from the credit all together.
Urge Congress to extend the expanded Child Tax Credit so families have continued access to needed monthly support.
2021 Advent is Here! November 29th, 2021
(Photo courtesy of Monicore, Pixabay)
This Advent join in prayer with us as we give attention to caring for Earth, our common home; empowering our youth to serve; the plight of migrants and refugees; and protecting the gift of human life.
Dec. 4 WEEK 2: Click link to download They Give All They Have: Young Adults Called to Serve, contributed by: Fr. Ray Cook, OMI
Semana de Adviento 2: Ellos dan todo lo que tienen: los jóvenes adultos son llamados a servir, contribuido por: Fr. Ray Cook, OMI
Dec. 12 WEEK 3: Click link to download: Called to Welcome Immigrants, Welcoming Hope, contributed by: Dr. Victor Carmona, University of San Diego
Semana de Adviento 3: Acogiendo a los Inmigrantes, Acogiendo la Esperanza
Dec. 19 WEEK 4: Click link to download: Called to Celebrate and Protect Life, contributed by: JPIC Staff & Collaborators
Semana de Adviento 4: Haga clic aquí para descargar la versión en español: Llamados a celebrar y proteger la vida
