EarthConnection

EarthConnection’s Bottle Caps to Benches program, started this fiscal year, encourages scouts to save plastic lids and caps to be recycled into a park bench.

S. Winnie Brubach (back, second from left) and her many volunteers contributed almost 800 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Good Samaritan Health Center in Price Hill.

Beacons of Hope in Our Evolving universe

By S. Caroljean Willie, program director, EarthConnection

Pope Francis reminds us that, “Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope.” Heeding the words of Pope Francis and Elizabeth’s injunction “to meet our grace in every circumstance of life,” EarthConnection’s (EC) staff, Sisters Winnie Brubach, Caroljean (Cj) Willie and Associate Sue DiTullio, strive to provide programs, activities, and digital resources to help increase people’s awareness of the interconnectedness of all creation and the integral role they play to be beacons of hope in our evolving universe.

This past year is divided into two parts: pre- and post-pandemic. Before the pandemic EC continued its “Movies That Matter” program featuring the following films: “Paris to Pittsburgh” which highlighted the efforts of individuals who are battling the threats of climate change; “Chasing Ice” about ice melting and glaciers retreating in the Arctic; and “Anote’s Ark” which takes place on the Pacific island of Kiribati which is in imminent annihilation from sea-level rise. Dr. Michael Roman, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer on the island of Kiribati, gave a presentation on the current status of the island which he continues to visit.

Ten Girl Scout Troops of varying ages visited EC to work on a variety of badges related to earth literacy and environmental sustainability. Associate Sue DiTullio started a program entitled “Bottle Caps to Benches” which encourages scouts to save plastic lids and caps to be recycled into a park bench. This program became so popular that not only scouts, but Sisters, Associates, and others also contributed caps. Boxes arrived at EC from states throughout the country who heard about the program and wanted to be a part of it. The first bench now sits proudly outside the front entrance of EC. We are continuing to save caps for another bench and a picnic table.

A group of youth, ages 5-17, from the Zoroastrian faith tradition spent an afternoon at EC learning about renewable energy, sustainability and participated in a variety of hands-on activities.

EC provided a calendar for the Season of Creation and collaborated with our Spirituality Center to provide daily photos and reflections on environmental themes during Advent and Lent.

S. Winnie and her faithful “garden ladies” contributed almost 800 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Good Samaritan Health Center in Price Hill. She is also continuing to assist Dr. Gene Kritsky, a professor at Mount St. Joseph university (MSJu), with a hive of honeybees on EC’s property.

A lot of EC’s work takes place off campus. Sisters Winnie and Cj participated in MSJu’s activity fair and S. Cj also spoke on a variety of different environmental topics to several MSJu classes. She also gave presentations in Michigan, California, Maryland, Kentucky and throughout Ohio.

Post-pandemic EC is providing webinars bi-monthly not only for those on our EC mailing list, but also for other members of the Sisters of Charity Federation, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and for other religious congregations. We also continue to provide current information on our website, scearthconnection.org, and through our newsletter.

EC is represented on the Archdiocesan Care for Creation Task Force, Green umbrella’s Go Green Faith Impact Team, nuns on the Bus Environmental Committee, MSJu’s Sustainability Committee and the Charity Earth network.