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May – Heartfelt Reflections from OMI Novices, Reflection 2 May 8th, 2025
Introduced by Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Center
Ecological Encounter by Br. Michael Katona
May – Heartfelt Reflections from OMI Novices May 1st, 2025
Introduced by Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Center
La Vista joins all those on our planet who are feeling the great loss of Pope Francis who heard the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and acted on what he heard in a most remarkable way.
This Novitiate year we have been immersed in his words as they come to us in his encyclical Laudato Si. As we ended our time together here at Immaculate Heart of Mary Novitiate in April, the Novices offered to share their thoughts about ecological conversion as described in Laudato Si. May their words honor the memory of Pope Francis.
A Dialogue with Earth by Edwin Silwimba
Over the past seven months at La Vista Ecological Learning Center through the classes we had with
Sister Maxine, I had an opportunity to talk to Earth and learn from Earth how to care for him/her better, how to love him/her and how to be a better steward for the gifts Earth gives me. The task is to carry this enlightenment to wherever I go in my ministry as a Missionary Oblate of Mary immaculate. My article is written in the form of a personal conversation between Edwin and Earth.
Edwin: I feel different now. I mean… I will see you differently. For the longest time, I looked at you from afar; your trees, rivers, animals, beautiful, yes, but distant. I never really heard your voice.
Earth (smiling): And now?
Edwin: Now I hear your sighs when I walk on dry, cracked soil. I feel your joy in birdsong and your grief in polluted skies. Seven months ago, I wouldn’t have noticed. But La Vista Ecological Learning Center changed me.
Earth: Tell me about it. What did they teach you?
Edwin: They taught me to pay attention to listening with more than just ears. I learned how ecosystems breathe together like a single body. I learned about sustainability, conservation, native plants, and waste reduction. But more than facts, they taught me relationships. That I’m not outside of you… I’m part of you.
Earth (gently): And you came all the way from Zambia for this?
Edwin (with a smile): Yes. I came from the heart of Africa, where the soil is red and warm, where the rain nourishes maize fields, and where I played barefoot as a child. I loved you then, but I didn’t know how deep that love could go. I didn’t know how much you needed me to care for them with intention.
Earth: You’ve always belonged to me, but now you’ve chosen to belong with me, and that’s different.
Edwin: Exactly. Stewardship isn’t just about duty anymore. It’s about kinship. I’ve started seeing my small daily actions as seeds. What I throw away, what I plant, how I use energy, it all speaks to how I love you.
Edwin (nodding): Yes. That’s what Laudato Si’ says, right? “Our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.”
Earth (softly): I have always been both sister and mother. And yet many forget.
Edwin: I was one of them. But now, I’ve begun to see you not just as ‘environment,’ but as a sacred presence. I’ve stopped asking, “What can I take?” and started asking, “How can I give back?”
Earth: Then you are living integral ecology where care for creation is one with care for people and with the life of the spirit.
Edwin: Yes. I still have much to learn, but I know now that to be a good steward is to walk humbly, love deeply, and act wisely. Now I’ll plant consciousness with a new heart. I want to share what I’ve learned with my brothers, my community. I want to walk more gently and help others see that you are not just a backdrop to our lives, but a sacred companion.
Earth (softly): That is enough to begin healing.
Edwin: Thank you, Earth for your patience. For never giving up on us.
Earth: And thank you for listening.
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Faith Meets Sustainability: Discussion With Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI & Br. Thomas Marchetti, OMI April 10th, 2025
Reflection on March Ecological Conversion Session with OMI Novices April 8th, 2025
Contributed by Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director La Vista Ecological Learning Center
L to R: Edwin Silwimba, Alfred Lungu, Bro. Francois, Mike Katona, Eliakim Mbenda
climate crisis and who had the courage to write his thoughts, resulting in our meeting across the miles and supporting one another. Since we met in March, Brother Francois has also written ” The Three ” H”, Integrating ” Head, Heart, and Hands”: A New Culture of Response to Ecological Conversion”. I invite you to support him by reading his inspiring article and enjoying the photo of his garden, pictured here
Teamwork & Service: Mount Mary Students Lend a Hand at Lavista Ecological Learning Center March 31st, 2025
(Contributed by Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director La Vista Ecological Learning Center)
On March 6 and 7 La Vista hosted four young women from Mount Mary University, a School Sister of Notre Dame sponsored university in Milwaukee, WI. They spilled out of their car ready to work, and work they did! I was amazed at their enthusiasm and willingness to do hard, dirty tasks.
They dug and tugged, and succeeded in pulling out several tires that had been tossed into the Oblates’ Nature Preserve and buried for years in the soil. They weeded and mulched a garden and cleared a stone wall of debris. Then they cleaned out a storage area that had been neglected for years. When I asked if they needed a rest, together they said, “No, we want to work!”
Beyond the significant amount of work they did, what was even better was what they learned about themselves. “I didn’t know I am strong!” “I never get my hands dirty, but this feels great!”
I was also impressed with how they became a team as they addressed challenges, collaborated on solutions, and succeeded in their tasks.
Working with them was a learning experience and a true pleasure for them and for me.
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