Our Mother Earth
By Deacon Tom Cervone, Ph.D., Sister Maureen Houlihan, D.C., and Nicole Cervone-Gish, Ed. M.S.
Editor’s note: This series takes a deeper look at Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “On Care for Our Common Home, Laudato Si’.”
With much gratitude to Bishop Joseph M. Siegel, publisher of The Message, and Tim Lilley, editor, we celebrate two years of writing Our Mother Earth monthly. Every column is available by visiting https://evdiomessage.org/our-mother-earth/.
God made us stewards of His Planet Earth, and Pope Francis and others are spreading the message to treat Our Mother Earth －like our mother, father, sister or brother. Let’s cherish our planet and its people, and maintain the balance God originally created.
A beautiful quote from former President Jimmy Carter about people and the environment is, “I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment within which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence and fame, but adhering to God's standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness and love.”
In light of the Vatican’s peace and justice office inviting Catholic communities across the world to join a grassroots movement in Care for Our Common Home, we believe Our Mother Earth columns are especially valuable. The Vatican’s Action Platform focuses on Catholic dioceses, religious orders, schools and institutions committing to an ecological conversion and total sustainability. We hope these columns have and will continue to educate and encourage good stewardship.
Our columns give readers ways to help planet Earth that complement “Laudato Si,’” especially during the Season of Creation that runs from Sept. 1 (World day of Prayer) to Oct. 4 (Feast of St. Francis of Assisi). As good and faithful stewards, God calls us all to love and care for Our Mother Earth.
What can we do? Consider, on your property:
- Rethink, reuse and recycle
- Preserve and plant trees of proper species and location(s)
- Retain rainwater by increasing greenness
- Use renewable forms of energy
- Stop urban sprawl and promote groundwater recharge
- Plant gardens for pollinators
- Reduce your carbon footprint
- In farming, implement methods that hold water and reduce run-off using fewer chemicals
- Help save our natural resources
“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations” (St. Pope John Paul II).
Dr. Tom Cervone is a deacon at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Evansville, Indiana with 50 years of experience in ecology. He graduated from St. Bonaventure University, a Franciscan University. Sister Maureen Houlihan, D.C. is a support sister on the Seton Harvest Farm started by the Daughters of Charity in response to the Communities - Care of Mother Earth. This CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Farm grows all natural produce for shareholders and the poor. Nicole Cervone-Gish, Ed. MS. is an award winning ELL (English Language Learner) teacher, who lives in Evansville, Indiana with her family.