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August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples August 8th, 2022
August 9 is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The UN’s observance this year will focus on the role of indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge.
Pope Francis in Canada: Walking Together August 3rd, 2022
Healing and Reconciliation: An Historic Journey
Pope Francis made a pastoral visit to Canada from July 24 to 29, 2022. The Pope’s visit provided a unique opportunity for him, once again, to listen and dialogue with Indigenous Peoples, to express his heartfelt closeness and to address the impact of colonization and the participation of the Catholic Church in the operation of residential schools throughout Canada. The papal visit also provided an opportunity for the shepherd of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics to connect with the Catholic community in Canada.
Pope Francis Visits Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples
The Catholic Church has a responsibility to take genuine and meaningful steps to journey with Indigenous Peoples of this land on the lengthy path to healing and reconciliation. Visit this site for articles, videos and speeches on the historic journey of Pope Francis to Canada, a significant step on the road to truth, understanding and healing.
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| Fr. Susai Jesu, OMI, pastor, welcomes Pope Francis to Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples in Edmonton, AB (photo via @VaticanNews broadcast) |
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| Fr. Nnaemeka Ali, OMI, a Nigerian priest working with the Innu First Nations in Canada, upholds the papal visit as an opportunity for reconciliation, and says the Church needs to listen to and work with indigenous communities. Read the article. |
This site –https://www.papalvisit.ca/– provides information on the historic journey of Pope Francis to Canada, a significant step on the road to truth, understanding and healing.
Breathing Life into Pollinator Garden @ La Vista July 25th, 2022
Master Gardener and Master Naturalist Susan Murray plus nine volunteers are in the process of renewing the La Vista Ecological Center Pollinator Garden begun in 2014. The monarda, a native plant that provides nectar for many bees, butterflies, birds, wasps, and other pollinators, is in full bloom. Our plan is to introduce more diversity so that, when the monarda has peaked, other natives will continue serving pollinators throughout the season as well as adding color and interest. This will happen over a period of years.
(Photo courtesy of MrGajowy3, Pixabay)
When some of the plants complete their blooming cycle, they die, making the garden less than attractive. However, we leave those plants because their seeds continue to serve other pollinators. In the winter they provide valuable habitat for species that overwinter here. Rather than clean them up so the garden has a tidy appearance, it is important to continue to provide for native animals.
(Animation courtesy of Matt Wasser, Lottie Files)
This garden was created in response to the disappearing monarch butterfly. It, along with many other pollinators, are endangered by use of pesticides and reduction in habitat. It is also a way to give flesh to the Missionary Oblates Land Ethic statement and the Pope’s encyclical Laudato Si.
Our brochure explains the pollinator garden and includes quotes from both documents. The garden is also an educational tool, modeling a way to create this kind of garden and encouraging others to replicate it in the back yards, on a smaller scale.
Download this brochure to learn more about Lavista’s Pollinator Garden.
Microsoft & Cisco Face Shareholder Pressure Over Public Disclosures July 12th, 2022
(Photo courtesy of Salvatore De Lellis, Pexels)
“…the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, and the Oblate International Pastoral Investment Trust (OIP), want Microsoft to fill in some of its transparency gaps and set an example across the tech sector. “
Missionary Oblates and OIP Trust join other responsible shareholders in calling for greater tax transparency and accountability from Microsoft and Cisco.
When corporations fail to pay their fair share of taxes in jurisdictions where they operate the burden for financing public services falls on each and every citizen in those jurisdictions.
Faith Groups to Congress: Support Peace Through Diplomacy in Ukraine July 11th, 2022
Photo courtesy of Wilfried Pohnke, Pixabay
It has been more than four months since Russia invaded Ukraine. In response to the terrible human toll of this illegal assault, OMI JPIC joined nearly two dozen faith organizations, under the leadership of Friends Committee on National Legislation, in sending a letter to every member of the U.S. Congress urging lawmakers to avoid actions that would escalate, expand, or prolong the war in Ukraine.
The signers recognized the precious and equal value of every human life. As in every war, the burdens have fallen most heavily on the world’s most vulnerable people. With so many lives at stake, the letter urges Congress to fulfill its moral duty to do everything it can to support diplomatic efforts that create incentives for a negotiated settlement necessary to reach a just and lasting peace.
Visit Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)’s website to read the letter to the U.S. Congress, view the list of signers, and send an action alert.
