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MACC

Living in Harmony with Creation: How MACC is Implementing Laudato Si’ Initiatives

Human life is grounded in three relationships, shared Archbishop Gustavo, during his annual visit to MACC in March. “The relationship with God, the relationship with neighbor, and the relationship with earth. We are connected with Earth.”

On March 20, Archbishop Gustavo came to MACC to celebrate his annual mass with students, faculty and staff. Prior to mass, he met with everyone to discuss Chapter 2 The Gospel of Creation of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’. 

At the end of the meeting, an invitation was extended for volunteers to form a committee for MACC. This committee is tasked to guide and motivate the community and be the starting point for a new and more committed personal and institutional conversion. MACC’s new Laudato Si’ Committee formed that afternoon consisting of MACC staff, faculty and students. One of the committee members, Bernardo Castañeda, is a seminarian at Assumption Seminary from the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

From left to right: Laudato Si’ Committee – Bernardo Castañeda, Sr. Elizabeth Guerrero, Kathy Bliquez, Laura Graham, Sr. Constanza Fernández, Carolina Ávila, Sr. Luz Moreno, Guadalupe Pineda, Rafael Becerra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“For me, the main goal as a member of the committee is to be able to create a sustainable community and to be an example and a replicable model of what can be achieved for the planet and for our current society,” said Bernardo. “The document Laudato Si’ is a very essential and very necessary document in our current world. It is an indispensable tool if we want to do something for our planet, for our people and for our future generations.”

One of the first projects that has come to fruition, is a community garden initiated by Bernardo. Last Fall semester, he became a member of the Knights of Columbus and spoke to them about the desire to create a community garden.

“Beginning the community garden was a mixture of doing one of my hobbies along with the desire to create a recreational, productive and healthy activity for the people of the neighborhood, not only seminarians, as well as a way to bring the community closer together,” he said. The Knights of Columbus along with Assumption Seminary agreed to financially support this project. On Friday, April 5, students and MACC staff came together for the inauguration day of the garden and everyone helped plant various fruits, vegetables and herbs. Members of the Laudato Si’ Committee have signed up for different weeks to maintain the garden during the summer months and having another harvest day in July. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Laudato Si’ encyclical is important not just for Catholics, but for everyone, as we are all inhabitants of the earth. While a larger majority of Americans are aware that climate change is happening, many still do not see it as a priority. This is a shared worry by Rafael Becerra, a seminarian at Assumption Seminary from the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and one of the members of the Laudato Si’ Committee.

“I am concerned about the misuse of man’s freedom,” said Rafael. “There is lack of awareness and irresponsibility, driven by individualism, excessive consumerism and capitalism. These cause, on many occasions, serious damage, even irreversible, to the earth, our common home.” This was what motivated Rafael to join the committee. He has previous experience implementing Laudato Si’ initiatives when he was a seminarian at the Seminary San Juan de los Lagos in Mexico.

“I decided to volunteer with hopes to contribute to the construction of a culture of care for our common home, both at MACC and Assumption Seminary,” he said. “What gives me hope is to know that the earth is God’s creation, He continues to rule and direct all of it.”

Archbishop Gustavo stated during his meeting that our duty is to live as Jesus did, in harmony with creation. Our duty is to protect and care for this earth, not control.

The committee has been meeting to discuss what other small steps we can begin to implement as an institution. Some of the plans include, posting very clearly spelled out recycle signs, on containers around the campus, and have a member of the committee educate new students during Orientation about MACC and Assumption’s recycle program.

Viviendo en armonía con la creación: cómo MACC está implementando las iniciativas de Laudato Si

La vida humana se basa en tres relaciones, compartió el Arzobispo Gustavo, durante su visita anual al MACC en marzo. “La relación con Dios, la relación con el prójimo y la relación con la tierra. Estamos conectados con la Tierra “.

El 20 de marzo, el Arzobispo Gustavo vino a MACC para celebrar su misa anual con estudiantes, profesores y personal. Antes de la misa, se reunió con todos para discutir el Capítulo 2 El evangelio de la creación de la encíclica del Papa Francisco sobre el medio ambiente, Laudato Si’.

Al final de la reunión, se extendió una invitación para que los voluntarios formen un comité para que el MACC guíe y motive a la comunidad y sea el punto de partida para una conversión personal y una conversión institucional nuevas y más comprometidas. El nuevo Comité de Laudato Si’ de MACC se formó esa tarde y estuvo compuesto por personal, profesores y estudiantes de MACC. Uno de los miembros del comité es Bernardo Castañeda, un seminarista del Seminario de la Asunción de la Arquidiócesis de San Antonio.

“Para mí, el objetivo principal como miembro del comité es poder crear una comunidad sostenible y ser un ejemplo y un modelo replicable de lo que se puede lograr para el planeta y para nuestra sociedad actual”, dijo Bernardo. “El documento Laudato Si’” es un documento muy esencial y muy necesario en nuestro mundo actual. Es una herramienta indispensable si queremos hacer algo por nuestro planeta, por nuestra gente y por nuestras generaciones futuras”.

Uno de los primeros proyectos que ha surgido es un jardín comunitario iniciado por Bernardo. El semestre de otoño pasado, se convirtió en miembro de los Caballeros de Colón y les habló sobre el deseo de crear un jardín comunitario.

“Comenzar el jardín comunitario fue una mezcla de hacer uno de mis pasatiempos junto con el deseo de crear una actividad recreativa, productiva y saludable para la gente del vecindario, no solo los seminaristas, así como una manera de acercar a la comunidad, ” él dijo. Los Caballeros de Colón y el Seminario de Asunción acordaron apoyar financieramente este proyecto. El viernes 5 de abril, los estudiantes y el personal de MACC se reunieron para el día de inauguración del jardín y todos ayudaron a plantar varias frutas, verduras y hierbas. Los miembros del Comité de Laudato Si’ se han inscrito en diferentes semanas para mantener el jardín durante los meses de verano y tener otro día de cosecha en julio.

La encíclica Laudato Si’ es importante no solo para los católicos, sino para todos, ya que todos somos habitantes de la tierra. Si bien la mayoría de los estadounidenses son conscientes de que el cambio climático está ocurriendo, muchos aún no lo ven como una prioridad. Ésta es una preocupación compartida por Rafael Becerra, un seminarista del Seminario de la Asunción de la Arquidiócesis de San Antonio y uno de los miembros del Comité Laudato Si’.

“Me preocupa el mal uso de la libertad del hombre”, dijo Rafael. “Hay una falta de conciencia e irresponsabilidad, impulsada por el individualismo, el consumismo excesivo y el capitalismo. Esto causa, en muchas ocasiones, daños graves, incluso irreversibles, a la tierra, nuestro hogar común”. Esto fue lo que motivó a Rafael a unirse al comité. Tiene experiencia previa en la implementación de las iniciativas de Laudato Si’ cuando era seminarista en el Seminario San Juan de los Lagos en México.

“Decidí ser voluntario con la esperanza de contribuir a la construcción de una cultura del cuidado de nuestra casa común, tanto en MACC como en el Seminario de la Asunción”, dijo. “Lo que me da esperanza es saber que la tierra es la creación de Dios, Él continúa gobernando y dirigiéndolo todo”.

El arzobispo Gustavo declaró durante su reunión que nuestro deber es vivir como lo hizo Jesús, en armonía con la creación. Nuestro deber es proteger y cuidar esta tierra, no el control.

El comité se ha reunido para discutir qué otros pequeños pasos podemos comenzar a implementar como institución. Algunos de los planes incluyen la publicación de carteles de reciclaje muy claramente enunciados, en contenedores alrededor del campus, y que algún miembro del comité eduque a los nuevos estudiantes durante la Orientación sobre el programa de reciclaje de MACC y Assumption.

Posted in SOMOS MACC NEWSLETTER, Spring 2019 NewsletterTagged Archdiocese of San Antonio, laudato si', leadership, living the gospel

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