Gratitude for God’s gifts is at the heart of Mary Ward’s Ignatian spirituality. Our appreciation of the beauty of nature and our interconnectedness with all creation calls us to a focused care for all living things. This call, also informed by a Biblical understanding of justice and relationships and the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching, focuses our heads, hearts and hands on careful stewardship of creation.
The Loreto commitment to Ecological Justice encourages us to listen carefully to the cry of the Earth. Projects throughout the Loreto schools network reflect that much is being done to support our young people to appreciate the key role these leaders of tomorrow must play to ensure that caring for our common home is an imperative in our lives, not an optional extra. Our response to the fragile planet is a spiritual imperative, not simply a form of social activism.
There are such wonderful initiatives being practised in all our schools that illustrate the words of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ (LS 19): “there is a growing sensitivity to the environment and a need to protect nature... Our goal is to discover what each of us can do about it”.
The Season of Creation annually draws our attention to the cry of the Earth. As we enter Spring here in the Southern Hemisphere, it is an encouraging time to give thanks for the gifts of creation and to find new ways in our daily lives to support the health of our natural world. The World Council of Churches, instrumental in embedding this season in our annual calendars, provides many resources to help us explore how we can work for ecological justice.
In support of the Loreto commitment to ecological justice, our schools provide many programs, events and opportunities for the students in our care to learn, advocate for, and act on environmental sustainability and renewal. In the lead-up to the Season of Creation, Loreto Normanhurst’s focus on sustainability included a guest speaker addressing those in Years 5 and 6 on the topic, “Why should we care about waste?” This opportunity prompted the students to consider how we manage waste, as well as personal ways to show respect for the environment. Junior students at Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak have also explored these concepts by reflecting on the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable practices. These students have participated in ‘Worm Farm Wednesdays’, where food scraps are composted instead of being sent to landfill. This initiative benefits the gardens and teaches valuable lessons about environmental stewardship. At Loreto College Ballarat, Year 7 Geography classes immersed themselves in fieldwork to learn about water, its uses, interconnections and significance.
Students from Loreto College Marryatville have embraced immersion of a different kind; they braved the cold and went a day without light and heat, all while collecting beanies and blankets for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. With initiatives like transitioning to solar power and aiming for a 100% plastic-free campus, Loreto College Marryatville is on track to achieve its ambitious goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2030! Loreto College Coorparoo has partnered with the local community to assist animal habitats and combat erosion by planting 300 trees, and Loreto Kirribilli has joined with students from local colleges to participate in the SEED program, designed to grow youth-led ideas for a sustainable future.
We encourage each person to join with the global Mary Ward network in urgent action to protect our common home; to network and collaborate as stewards in the care of creation, each according to their own culture, experience and talents (LS 14). It is not envisioned that responses will be uniform; on the contrary, responses must reflect our diversity. May our actions to answer the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor discern the signs of the times and creatively answer the needs around us.
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