“Cry of the earth, cry of the poor” is a central theme in Laudato Si and was also the theme for our February field trip. The encyclical reminds us: “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.” Our field trip introduced us to two Oblates, Padre Lorenzo Rosebaugh and Father Darrell Rupiper, whose lives expanded in remarkable ways as they responded to both cries.

 

In the morning we were deeply moved to learn that Padre Lorenzo lived on the streets with the poor of Recife, Brazil, and considered that to be “perhaps the greatest grace of my life.” Lorenzo was known to scavenge street vendor stalls, using a cart to pick up discarded vegetables which he cooked over and open fire to feed the poor. Once, accused of stealing the cart, he was thrown in jail, beaten and starved for days. He wrote, “I am asked what good did it do for me to live on the streets? I answer: witnessing me follow my conscience drew others to seek their own values and make important decisions to serve the less fortunate.”

 

We visited Christine and Gary Huelsmann who became Lorenzo’s good friends while he lived at the Novitiate and wrote his memoir, To Wisdom Through Failure. Christine is an artist who had asked Lorenzo, “What am I to do for the poor?” He encouraged her to do what she does best, and it would become clear. After Lorenzo was tragically shot to death in 2009, Christine initiated the Faces Not Forgotten project which invites artists to create portraits of young children who have died from gun violence with the goal of giving dignity to the victims by putting a face to the tragedy, providing comfort to their families and raising awareness about gun violence in the United States. These portraits are given to the families of the children depicted and copies are then added to quilts which are displayed around the country to raise awareness of gun violence.

 

We also heard from Gary Huelsmann who has been a member of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee for the OMI US Province for over 20 years. He is the CEO of Caritas Family Solutions, a non-profit organization that reaches out to people in crisis, such as abused children, struggling families, pregnant women, low-income seniors, and adults with developmental disabilities, offering them the opportunity to experience a loving environment and a path to self-sufficiency. Both Gary and Christine honor Father Lorenzo’s memory with their work for the marginalized.

 

In the afternoon our focus shifted to the life of Darrell Rupiper, OMI, who considered himself an ecological missionary toward the end of his life. He passionately conducted parish eco-missions, initiating teams to carry on the work of Earth care in the parish. Father Darrell evolved into his ecological vocation after serving the poor in Brazil and speaking out against the death penalty, racism and nuclear weapons. He wrote about his own unfolding: “In the midst of this enlarged perspective I have been assigned to a new ministry. This involves my inviting others to COME HOME to Earth.” Father Séamus Finn, OMI, joined us by Zoom, sharing stories about his good friend and colleague in caring for our common home. Father Salvador Gonzalez, one of the formators at the Novitiate, also joined us since Father Darrell was his novice master years ago. Father Sal shared precious memories of Father Darrell’s impact on his own life.

 

All the people we met on this field trip live or have lived their lives in a large way as they listen to both the cries of the earth and of the poor and as the universe unfolds its beauty and creativity through them.