Let’s Care for Our Common Home
Written by Kelvin Boey & Irene Siebert
The Church of St Francis Xavier’s Care For Creation Ministry (C4C Ministry) was set up in 2019 in response to Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si” which focuses on care for the natural environment and all people, as well as broader questions on the relationship between God, humans and the Earth.
In his encyclical “Laudato Si” Pope Francis challenges us to care for our Common Home by growing the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity. This means growing and living in a healthy relationship with God, with our neighbour and all Creation.
The Care For Creation Ministry has a two-fold mission: to convert its people to be ecological citizens and to transform the Church to an ecological parish.
To achieve this mission, the C4C Ministry has adopted the Vatican’s Laudato Si Action Platform which provides a clear template for an ecological and spiritual conversion.
The seven goals of the Laudato Si Action Platform are:
- Response to the Cry of the Earth
- Response to the Cry of the Poor
- Ecological Economics
- Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyles
- Ecological Education
- Ecological Spirituality
- Community Resilience & Empowerment
Response to the Cry of the Earth
This is a call to protect our common home for the well-being of all, as we equitably address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and ecological sustainability. Actions could include adoption of renewable energies and energy sufficiency measures, achieving carbon neutrality, protecting biodiversity, promoting sustainable agriculture and guaranteeing access to clean water for all.
Response to the Cry of the Poor
This is a call to promote eco-justice, keeping in mind that we are called to defend human life from conception to death, and all forms of life on Earth. Actions could include projects to promote solidarity, with special attention given to vulnerable groups such as indigenous communities, refugees, migrants and children at risk, analysis and improvements of social systems and social service programmes.
Ecological Economics
Ecological Economics acknowledges that the economy is a sub-system of human society, which itself is embedded within the biosphere – our common home. Actions could include sustainable production and consumption, ethical investments, divestment from fossil fuels and any activity harmful to the planet and the people, supporting circular economies, and prioritizing health and safety, as well as protecting the dignity of workers.
Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyles
The Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyles is grounded in the idea of sufficiency, and promoting sobriety in the use of resources and energy. Actions could include reducing waste and recycling, adopting sustainable dietary habits (for example, opting for a more plant-based diet and reducing meat consumption), making greater use of public transport, active mobility (walking, cycling), and avoiding single use items (e.g. plastic, etc.).
Ecological Education
Ecological Education is about re-thinking and re-designing curricular and institutional reform in the spirit of integral ecology in order to foster ecological awareness and transformative action. Actions could include ensuring equitable access to education for all and promoting human rights, fostering Laudato Si’ themes within the community, encouraging ecological leadership among students and teachers, and restoration activities.
Ecological Spirituality
Ecological Spirituality springs from a profound ecological conversion and helps us to “discover God in all things”, both in the beauty of creation and in the sighs of the sick and the groans of the afflicted, aware that the life of the spirit is not dissociated from worldly realities. Actions could include promoting creation-based liturgical celebrations, developing ecological catechesis, retreats and formation programmes, etc.
Community Resilience & Empowerment
Community resilience and empowerment envisage a synodal journey of community engagement and participatory action at various levels. Actions could include promoting advocacy and developing people’s campaigns, encouraging rootedness and a sense of belonging in local communities and neighbourhood ecosystems.
Leading by Example
We believe that our Church and the Care For Creation Ministry must lead by example. SFX is moving to become an ecological parish with programmes/initiatives such as converting to solar lighting, promoting composting, hydroponics, cultivating a vegetable garden, recycling, adopting a ‘No Plastics’ policy, as well as educating our children and youth.
Most of the external lightings of our Church have gone solar with internal lightings moving to LED in phases. The Ministry has been running a hydroponics vegetable system in Church since 2021 and a dedicated soil-based garden near the Church basement which sees produce such as Brazillian spinach, mint leaves, siew pak choy, kai lan, lettuce, cherry tomato, chilli padi, cucumber, long beans, bitter gourd, brinjal, ginger, kangkung, okra and maize being grown and consumed by the parish.
The team also started composting in 2023 with the compost being earmarked for sales to parishioners. Recycling bins are also deployed outside the Xavier Hall since 2021 and the team has also organized collections of used clothes. The Ministry is also collaborating with Religious Education in holding joint activities from classroom ecological awareness sessions to nature walks and hikes.
C4C Ministry has also worked with St Vincent de Paul Society (SSVP) to help distribute food rations from SFX mobile food bank to the less fortunate comprising the poor, homeless, orang asli and migrants. Financial aid was also disbursed to those who were in dire need, especially the aged, widows and single mothers. The boys from SSVP’s boarding cum education home for the marginalized, i.e. Rumah Pengajian Xavier, assisted in the mural painting to beautify the C4C vegetable garden. A housing project to replace 11 units of dilapidated houses for the Orang Asli in Kg Jong, Rompin, is currently in progress. The construction of the houses is scheduled to complete by 1st quarter of 2024.
The above are but some of our ministry’s ongoing activities, with many more being planned for 2024 and beyond. We are always on the lookout for volunteers to help expand our ministry outreach towards caring for our common home.
Join our team and contact Kelvin Boey at 012 203 6081.