Columban Partnership Program coordinator Mariana Waqa presenting Care for Creation at St Michael’s Primary School. Photo:Mariana Waqa
On Thursday, July 24th, the Regional Schools & Community Partnerships Coordinator facilitated a program on Care for Creation at St Michael’s Primary School. The program aims to build awareness of Catholic stewardship in caring for and protecting God’s creation.
The students in grades one and two began with the creation story from Genesis 1 before praying and hearing about the ways Columban Missionaries help the poor and look after creation through their mission work.
Next, the children were presented with an interactive session on the late Pope Francis’ Encyclical, "Laudato Si.” The students responded to questions about the loss of forests, the polluting of oceans, the loss of habitats for wildlife, and the Catholic responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, or in the words of Pope Francis, “our common home.”
Then it was time to discuss solutions that could be practised at school and home. The students spoke about picking up rubbish, recycling cardboard and plastics, closing the tap when brushing their teeth, switching off the lights in rooms not being used, and planting gardens. In one classroom, they had a mini herb garden, which they watered and took care of each day. The children were learning that gardens teach the importance of being responsible for creation.
Soon it was time to play the Litterbug Game! Students were selected to be litterbugs who entered the classroom throwing rubbish everywhere. The students observed and decided that littering was “not good!” So everyone picked up a piece of rubbish and were instructed to place each item into a compost bin, recycle bin, re-usable bin, and a rubbish bin. It was an afternoon of sorting and checking that the right things went into the right bins, but the students soon had their classroom looking spick and span.
Boxes ready for the Litterbug Game!
As gentle music played in the background, everyone regathered to calm down with some breathing exercises before closing with a prayer:
“Thank You Lord, for our beautiful earth.
Thank you for the gift of all creation.
Help us take to care of it, With lots of love,
Just like You do. Amen"
Mariana Waqa is the Regional Schools & Community Partnerships Coordinator.
