Cheryl (center) stands surrounded by participants of the round-table, many of whom have been involved in ecological justice work over many years for the Catholic Church and Catholic organisations. - Photo: Mariana Waqa
On Monday 28th September, Columban Partnership Coordinator, Mariana Waqa joined members of Pax Christie Victoria, Kildare Ministries, Caritas Earthcare, and Jesuit Social Services, amongst a few other Catholic organizations, to welcome the Laudato Si' Movement Director for Asia Pacific, Cheryl Dugan.
Cheryl traveled from the Philippines to listen and learn from the Australian Catholic and ecological communities, strengthen relationships, and explore opportunities for collaboration and movement-building. Accompanying her was Jacqui Remond, co-founder of the Laudato Si Movement and recently appointed as an adviser to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
The roundtable discussions began with Cheryl’s childhood experiences in the Philippines, where growing up with regular typhoon seasons seemed fun as a child since her family and community would seek shelter at her home during these powerful storms. But when Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines in 2013, taking the lives of 6,300 people, Cheryl’s childhood memories of typhoon season changed forever as she witnessed the horrific aftermath, which took many years to fully recover from for local communities.
The late Pope Francis visited the stricken areas in 2015, where a child tearfully asked, “Why did God let this happen to us?” To which he responded, “Certain realities in life can only be seen through eyes cleansed by tears.” Cheryl’s eyes had been cleansed by the experience, and her heart for home, family, and community led towards the work of Laudato Si and caring for our common home. Participants responded to Cheryl’s story with gratitude and a commitment to continuing to partner across groups and organizations within the Church as a response to the cry of creation and the marginalization of the poor who are too often at the frontlines of the climate crisis.
Mariana was then asked to share on how the Columbans mobilized themselves at the community level on care for creation. She spoke on the Columban Faith in Action program with schools across the region of Oceania. Highlighting how the program has evolved over the last two years, Mariana talked about the importance of involving children in the mission to care for God’s creation and how they are so eager and receptive to taking positive actions when accompanied by teachers who believe in them and integrate the message of Laudato Si into religious education classes, the sciences, and social studies. She also spoke on the pivotal role of educators to map out the interconnectedness of human actions with the world around them and how practical actions in the smallest ways have a ripple effect that cannot always be measured immediately.
Mariana explained that Laudato Si is foundational to the work that Columbans facilitate in schools since it provides a pathway for children to understand how caring for creation is a part of Catholic spirituality and responsibility. Listening to other participants at the roundtable, Mariana was reminded that much can also be learned from the Indigenous First Nations people of Australia, whose connection to land and country can help to enrich Catholic social teachings on care for God’s creation.
The roundtable talk provided space to meet with Cheryl and discuss some of the strengths and challenges that are part of ecological justice advocacy and education. It also allowed for discussions to begin about preparations for World Youth Day, Pope Leo’s visit to Australia, and opportunities for the Columbans to build and strengthen partnerships amongst a solid group of Catholic organizations.
Mariana Waqa is the Regional Schools & Community Partnerships Coordinator.
