Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010
Week of May 12, 2008
Ecology explained to women religious
Special to the WCR
Edmonton
Sister Judy Schachtel told the Council of Women Religious annual assembly April 25-26 that God gave humans the earth to care for and not to dominate and destroy.
The guest speaker's talks on eco-spirituality focused on creating a deeper awareness of the connectedness to the earth and all living things. Everything humans do affects all other forms of life, she said.
St. Francis of Assisi is an example of those who understand this responsibility for creation by treating all of creation as his sisters and brothers. Now we are being called to act more ethically in a kinship and stewardship, said Schachtel.
The 70 women also heard Archbishop Richard Smith tell of his five-year plan for new evangelization.
Sisters representing numerous archdiocesan bodies presented reports from the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Western Catholic Reporter Board, Newman College Senate, Archdiocesan Vocation Directors, Mission Council, and New Evangelization Committee. Women religious are also involved in other initiatives such as the Edmonton Alliance, which works on behalf of the poor, and a new domestic violence initiative.
Sisters continue to work against the trafficking of women and children through letter writing and educational presentations as well as campaigning against brothels and trafficking of women to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics.
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