By Sister Bethany Fitzgerald, SSJ
Member, Sisters of St. Joseph Peace and Social Justice Committee
and the Social Justice Committee of the Council of Religious.
 
Living in the North Country and worshiping in this Diocese, it can be easy to take for granted the many incredible gifts of Creation.  In our modern, fast-paced society, many people simply overlook the wonders and grandeur of the natural world and the manner in which we are contributing to the destruction of God's earth.
In response to the increasing threats posed to our living environment, a small and enthusiastic group from various parts of the Diocese of Ogdensburg has gathered for the past several months.

The purpose of this Ecology and Faith group is to explore how our Catholic faith, rooted in the Scriptures and in the recent Catholic Social Teaching “Care for God’s Creation” written by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops can provide us, as Catholics, with a guide to meeting this present challenge.

The group has been discussing such questions as: How is the Catholic mission connected to the sustainability and health of the planet upon which all life depends?  What is our role as care-taker of God's Creation and of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers? How can our increasing awareness of this inter-connectedness between environment and faith be incorporated into the practical, everyday choices we make? How can we heighten awareness of these connections with the wider Catholic community? What other interested religious and secular groups are there in our local areas that we might work together with on specific local environmental concerns.

An essential part of each of our meetings has been prayer, for as Thomas Merton reminds us "we need to be contemplatives in action."  With St. Ignatius Loyola we pray that all of our actions be guided by the Spirit and done "for the greater honor and glory of God." It is prayer that will help us see more clearly how we are to follow in Jesus' footsteps today in light of the words of Pope John Paul II, "…respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of Creation, which is called to join man in praising God." 

One action the group has taken is to provide weekly items for an "Environmental Stewardship" column appearing in the bulletin of The Churches of the Mountains and Lake in the Saranac Lake area, as well as in the bulletins of a few other interested parishes. Each week's entry includes some teaching of our Church on the environment and a few practical suggestions for action. If anyone/parish would like to receive these items, email: stbernardbulletin@roadrunner.con.

New members for the group are welcome. Current members are from Plattsburgh, Malone, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear, Lake Placid, Hammond, Norfolk, Ogdensburg and other locales in the Diocese.

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 18 at 10:00 – 2:00pm in St. John in the Wilderness Parish House, Lake Clear.(pot-luck lunch) If you are interested in attending, or would like more information, call Sister Bethany at 315-324-5718/212-6592(cell) or email srbeth@cit-tele.com.

photo by Sr. Bethany Fitzgerald, SSJ
An Ecology and Faith group, with members from throughout the diocese, has been meeting regularly to discuss how the Catholic faith offers guidance to meet challenges to the environment. In front are Emmy Bodrogi,  Mary Centrofanti, Eunice Trombley and Kathy Robinson; back, Ursuline Sister Sheila Murphy,Alan Trombley, Polly Ohman,Tom Kalinowski, Sheila Harrison, Jack Beaumant and St. Joseph Sister Carol Kraeger.