Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI is among church leaders and financial experts meeting from November 11-12 at a London, England summit organized by the head of the Vatican Bank on making investments more ethical and more effective.
(Pictured L to R) Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St James: Alan Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner; Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Academy of the Social Sciences; Cardinal Reinhold Marx, President of the Vatican Council for the Economy, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster; (Back row) Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, President of the Institute of the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican Bank; Sr Helen Alford, OP, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences; Bishop David Urquhart, Advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury; Rev. Séamus P. Finn OMI, Chief Faith Consistent Investment, OIP Trust
Novices Alfred, Michael, Eliakim and Edwin (L to R) are pictured here in Great Rivers Park by a monument honoring Godfrey, IL’s first mayor.
Carved into stone is a Native American quote, “The Circle of Life teaches we are all the children of the Earth. May we leave the Earth a better place than what was left for us.”
This quote reflects the mayor’s life as well as the life and service of the man we were to meet next.
This park is adjacent to the Great Rivers Land Trust, the destination for our trip, as we set out to explore ecological conversion from exploitation of land to “responsible stewardship” (Laudato Si, 116) Alley Ringhausen, who has been Executive Director of GRLT for 25 years, is a living example of a responsible steward. Under his leadership, five thousand acres along the Mississippi River bluff corridor has been preserved in perpetuity, protecting a thriving ecological habitat of oak and hickory forests and unique hill prairies. Home to migratory birds like the American bald eagle and the white pelican, those acres are an invaluable asset for wildlife. Were it not for the GRLT the hill prairies and forests might only be a memory, and several threatened and endangered species, along with many others, would have lost their habitat.
Ringhausen regaled us with stories of his cunning acquisition of land which often took many years to accomplish. Reflecting on his presentation, the novices wisely noted that patience, foresight and deep commitment are hallmarks of responsible stewardship.
Finally, we returned to the Novitiate, which is a beneficiary of Ringhausen’s efforts, as more than 150 acres of there are preserved. Once again, we are grateful to OMI for longtime efforts to care for our common home.
On Friday, October 18, more than 65 people from the metropolitan Washington, DC Council of Governments visited Three Part Harmony Farm on the grounds of the Oblate administrative offices .
This was a great opportunity to tell the story of Missionary Oblates’ presence on this property since 1917 and the more than 10 year partnership we have enjoyed with Three-Part Harmony Farm.
Gail Taylor, Owner and Operator of Three-Part Harmony Farm gave a wonderful presentation on that story and answered questions from the assembled group on how they might expand organic gardening, rooftop gardening and building community supported gardens in their jurisdiction.
The weather provided a beautiful 75° fall day for them to take a tour of the garden and to witness the variety of vegetables that are continuing to be harvested on a weekly basis.
A New Heaven and a New Earth features songs written and recorded by hip-hop titan Aaron Cole; singer / songwriter Jason Gray; GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Awards-winning Building 429 frontman Jason Roy; chart-topper Micah Tyler; vocalist, producer and actress MŌRIAH; former Newsboys bassist and solo artist Phil Joel; and beloved CCM duo Waterdeep, comprised of husband and wife Don and Lori Chaffer. This elite roster of contributors resulted in thoughtfully written songs steeped in a vibrant array of sounds representing everything from pop, rock and hip-hop to R&B, folk and Americana.
This unique collection of songs is a clarion call for Christians to recognize their responsibility in creation care.
OMIUSAJPIC is pleased to have worked with a number of professional musicians from Nashville, TN, meeting with them to discuss the themes elaborated by Pope Francis in his encyclical letter, Laudato Sì.
Many of these songs are already being used in worship and offered in concerts by these artists and we hope to sponsor a few more concerts in the coming year.
Please share this great news with others in your faith communities and if you have any feedback or suggestions, we would love to hear from you via email at jpic@omiusa.org.