Sisters of St. Joseph of CarondeletMay 24, 2013

The Earth Charter


The Earth Charter is a widely recognized, global consensus statement on ethics and values for a sustainable future. Developed over a period of ten years, in what has been called the most extensive global consultation process ever associated with an international declaration, the Earth Charter has been formally endorsed by over 2,500 organizations, including global institutions such as UNESCO and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Click above to read the Earth Charter or download it in 30 different languages.


Click here to participate in the Earth Charter blog.


Click here to sign the Earth Charter Online Endorsement Form.


Read Pope Benedict's 2010 World Day of Peace Message.


View the resources for reflection on the 2010 Peace Message.


Learn about Sister Lin Neil's presentations on the Cosmic Story, bioregionalism, the web of life, healing the Earth and other Earth-concern issues.


 



Earth Concerns

Earth Concerns Articles view all

The Holy Dwelling of God in Scripture and in Nature by Sister Francine Dempsey, CSJ
Elizabeth Johnson, in the third part of her lecture on the Holy Spirit, spoke on ...
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Switching into Sustainability by Sister Mary Lou Dolan, CSJ
The theme of this year's HomeLand activities and articles continues to be bringing forth an ...
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"Awakening the Dreamer: Changing the Dream" by Sister Debbie Timmis, CSJ
Hopefully, many of our readers are noticing a thread through several of the articles authored ...
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Food Recycling Decreases Emission of Deadly Gases by Janet Derby, CSJA
Currently, only about three percent of all food waste is recycled even though it is ...
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Are We Following Jesus' Footsteps in Our Care for the Earth? by Sister Marguerite E. Donovan, CSJ
During the recent fall months, we were blessed with several weeks of flaming, leafy glory, ...
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Kateri Tekakwitha: Her Life and Her Relationship with Nature by Dorothy Hathway, CSJA
One of our newest saints, Kateri Tekahkwitha [Tekakwitha], has been called a patroness of ecology, ...
(more)



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The Swamp White Oak: Earth Symbol of the Congregation

Sometime in the early 1990s, Sister Marion Honors, CSJ, who lives in The Studio at St. Joseph’s Provincial House in Latham, discovered an immense tree on our grounds in the woods near a cemetery along Delatour Road. Sister Marion eventually learned that this was a Swamp White Oak, (also known as White Marsh Oak), and most likely the tree was over 350 years old. As excitement grew over the tree, members of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Albany Province began to use it as a logo or symbol for the province. Truly, the roots of this tree connect symbolically with our own roots, not only because of the Marquise and Madame de La Tour Du Pin, who lived in what is now the Novitiate House after they fled the Revolution in France), but also because of the fact that the tree most likely began as a seedling at the same time that Father Jean Pierre Medaille, SJ, was joining with six women in France to found the Sisters of St. Joseph! This magnificent tree was chosen to be one of the sacred spaces on our property at the Provincial House. (See Swamp White Oak section.)

You will read more about our Earth symbol in this section of our website. You will also learn of our call as Sisters of St. Joseph to be caretakers of the Earth, to work always toward right relationship with the Earth, to deepen our communion with the Earth in recognition of this gift by God to all living creatures.
 

We welcome you to Earth Concerns! 

View the slideshow below to meditate on God's beautful gift of creation in the words of Psalm 104!



Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet • 385 Watervliet-Shaker Road • Latham, NY 12110-4799
Main Provincal House Number (518) 783-3500 • Fax (518) 783-5209

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