We visited Treehouse Wildlife Center mid-December to experience a community dedicated to the rehabilitation of injured wildlife. TreeHouse exemplifies the spirit of Laudato Si which calls us to shift from the exploitation of other species to treating them as beings “with intrinsic value, apart from their usefulness to us”. Anyone can bring an injured animal to this center, and it will be treated as “brother or sister” in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.

 

In the photo ABOVE, Zuni the Coyote is on the far left, followed by Novices Edwin Silwimba, Eliakim Mbenda, Mike Katona, tour guide Marcie Nagle, and Novice Alfred Lungu.

 

Zuni was admitted as an orphan in 2011, already human socialized, so she could not be released back into the wild. Donors make it possible for her and other animals to be cared for until their natural death.

While visiting this enclosure, Marcie invited the novices to howl like a coyote, and when they did, all the coyotes joined in, necks extended, howling and yipping enthusiastically. We were thrilled.

 

Our trip also included a discussion of ways to protect non-human animals in our daily lives, such as creating plant and wildlife-friendly habitats in our own backyards; avoiding use of chemicals which can harm wildlife; picking up trash so animals don’t eat it; learning about endangered species in our own countries; eating a plant-based diet; and of course, treating animals as brothers and sisters, not objects.

 

We ended our visit with gratitude for the wisdom of Laudato Si as well as for our experience of ecological conversion.

Recently, Fr. Daniel LeBlanc, OMI and I were at the UN in New York City, participating in a Preparatory Committee Meeting for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development. The Financing for Development conference will take place in June 2025 (Spain).

 

Fr. Daniel spoke at a side event, “How FfD4 Can Strengthen Funding for Social Protection and Healthcare,” organized by the NGO Committee on Financing for Development (a substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN).

 

Other speakers at this event were Robert Powell (IMF, special representative to the UN), Umberto Cattaneo (ILO, public finance, Actuarial and Statistics Unit Social Protection Department), Lena Simet (Human Rights Watch) and Barry Herman (Social Justice in Global Development).

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. 

 

We will share more pictures in the coming weeks.

 

(Video courtesy of OM Staff, Janice Cooke)