On June 5, we commemorated World Environment Day. To mark its significance, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart launched an online educational resource, Window on Creation written by Sr Carmel Jones, rsj.
In their press release, the Sisters state that while it has been created for upper primary and secondary school staff and students, it is also an invitation to all who care about the environment. It offers an opportunity to explore how we can make a difference, right where we are.
The reader is invited to look at our world, as if out of a window, with St Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis and Fr Julian Tenison Woods who with Mary MacKillop founded the Josephite congregations.
As a well-respected scientist, Fr Julian contributed greatly to Australian natural history. He found God in science and creation, not just in his religious duties as a priest. His concern for nature interconnected with his commitment to face the environmental and social challenges of his time.
Fr Julian sensed that the future of Earth depends on the realisation that all creation is in relationship, and that we human beings are irrevocably inter-connected with the natural world. In this he echoes the sentiments of St Francis of Assisi whom Pope Francis brought to our attention in 2015 when he gave the world Laudato Si’. Pope Francis shows us that St Francis’ way of living simply and sustainably was in solidarity with Earth and her peoples.
“Seeing Fr Julian in this way renders him an ‘Eco-Hero’ for us in our time,” says Sr Carmel. “We see he is a person who realises that our concerns for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society and interior peace are all interconnected.
“I have tried to make this e-book a stand-alone resource so that most of the information is either contained within the words or through clicking on links. There are also reflective activities that can be completed alone or in a group.
I am grateful that this resource is enhanced by illustrations created by Sr Dorothy Woodward and has been reviewed by Sr Mary-Ann Casanova, Project Officer for the Sisters’ Explore~Embrace~Embody: A Laudato Si’ Action Plan for the Josephite Community.
I am sure this book will also appeal to anyone who is interested in Fr Julian and in the welfare of our Earth. Maybe this resource will help us towards harmony within ourselves, with each other and with all of creation.”
The e-book Window on Creation is available for reading and download via Flipping Book here: