Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation

This page:     Laudato Si and the 8-year plan     |     Reconciliation Week, 2020     |     Global Prayer at noon     |     A story I don't want to tell     |     Practical ideas for Laudato Si week     |     Laudato Si week     |     Faith bigger than fear     |     Post-COVID, a new normal?     |     A hunger pandemic     |     Earth Day's 50th anniversary     |     Pope's pandemic commission     |     Border Triduum     |     Street kids' response     |     Pope Francis prays for the world     |     Jaime's rooftop garden     |     Corona and climate     |     Pandemic - poems and prayers     |     Lenten carbon fast     |     Coronavirus - a faith response     |     JPICC meets     |     Down Under under attack     |      Br Paul's letter from Thailand     |     After the fires     |     Beloved Amazon     |     BP20 under way     |     WIHW     |     Caring for the green mountain     |     Fr Luigi's well     |     Unusual kindness     |     Laudato Si and the Marist Family     |     Timo's story 

 Recommended
web links:

 'Caring for our planet' 
click here 

Laudato Si and the 8-year plan

This week's JPIC Blog from Rome links to resources for an 8 year plan inspired by Laudato Si.  Fr Ben McKenna says: 'I would recommend a slow, reflective read, which will flow into practical plans: personal, communal, and institutional.' 

Go to the Blog: click here.                             [May 29]

Reconciliation week, 2020

Wed, May 27, is National Sorry Day, remembering the landmark declaration towards reconciliation. For details of this year's Reconciliation Week and opportunities to participate, click here.  

Global prayer at noon

As a climax to the Laudato Si 5th anniversary week, Catholics across the globe will be united in spirit and bring solidarity to the world in a shared moment of prayer at noon local time on May 24. Participants may register here and click here to download the Common Prayer.                            [May 23]

A story I don't want to tell

From Brownsville , USA, Fr Tony O'Connor SM sends this story...

Mike Seifert has lived in Texas border communities since 1989. In 2017 he became Border Advocacy Strategist for the ACLU of Texas. Here is the story he did not want to tell. click here.                           [May 19]

Practical ideas for Laudato Si week

In this week's JPIC Blog Sr Catherine Jones SMSM writes from Notre Dame de France, London, with practical ideas on how to observe Laudato Si week. Go to the Blog: click here.                        [May 18]

Laudato Si week

Pope Francis invites us to mark the fifth anniversay of his monumental letter on the care for our planet, 'Laudato Si' with a week of special prayer and reflection, May 16-24. 

For the comprehensive program suggested by the Australian Jesuits, click here and here.  For Pope Francis' video message, click here.                       [May 15]

Faith bigger than fear

This week's Monday JPICC Blog from Rome is from Fr Tony O'Connor SM on the USA-Mexican border. Facebook and food bank during COVID times.   Go to the Blog: click here.                           [May 12]

Post-COVID, a new normal?

In this week's JPIC Blog, Rev Ross Flint ponders what a new normal might be after the pandemic. Go to the Blog: click here.                           [May 05]

A hunger pandemic

In this week's JPIC Blog, Fr Jim Carty points to the pandemic of hunger paralleling the COVID-19 outbreak. Go to the Blog: click here.                              [Apr 28] 

Earth Day's 50th anniversary

Pope Francis has devoted his weekly audience on Apr 22 to marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.  Go to the text: click here.                         [Apr 23]

Pope's pandemic commission

This week’s JPIC Blog records Pope Francis' latest initiative to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Go to the Blog: click here                        [Apr 21] 

Border Triduum

This week's JPIC Blog comes from Fr Tony O'Connor SM on the USA/Mexican border. Go to the Blog: click here.                           [Apr 14]

Street kids' response

This week's JPIC Blog comes from Davao, Philippines: the response of Balay Pasilungan's youngsters. Go to the Blog: click here.                              [Apr 08]

Pope Francis prays for the world

This week's JPIC Blog is the Holy Father's recent 'Urbi et Orbi' message. Go to the Blog: click here.                             [Mar 30]

Jaime's rooftop garden

During Rome's pandemic lock-down, Mexican Marist seminarian, Jaime Perez Martinez SM, has used time to restore abandoned garden plants and reflect on their new lease of life. Indeed, Jaime, a student at Casa di Maria, the Marist International Theologate, points to how much life can flow from these restricted times.  Good on you, Jaime!  A fine use of lock-down time.

For Jaime's reflection, 'Principles of Death, Principles of Life', click here.                        [Mar 28]

Corona and climate

From New Zealand, in this week's Monday Blog, Fr Peter Healy SM shares about Maori culture and the connections between corona and climate. Go to the Blog: click here.                            [Mar 23]

Pandemic - poems and prayers

With the spread of COVID-19, thoughtful reflections, poems and prayers, are emerging as well.

Click below for:

• 'Lockdown' - Capuchin friar, Richard Henricks OFM Cap
• Video reading of 'Lockdown' by Fr Mike Surufta OFM
• 'Pandemic' - Lynn Sungar
• 'Prayer for a Pandemic (anonymous)
• Vatican message for Religious                               [Mar 21]

Lenten carbon fast

Catholic Religious Australia's calendar for the Lenten carbon fast is available, click here. (Apologies to CRI for the late uploading.)                               [Mar 10] 

Coronavirus - a faith response

In this week's JPIC Blog from Rome, Fr Ben McKenna reflects on the current crisis through the eyes of faith. Go to the blog: click here.                           [Mar 09]

JPICC meets

The Marist Family Committee for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation held its first meeting for 2020 on Mar 07. The Hunters Hill session heard reports on activities including ecological programs, immersion experiences, use of social media, support for homeless, refugees and stateless children.

The committee continues to support the Marist Father's JPIC 2018 initiative to establish a world-wide Blog, a recent item of which featured Fr Jim Carty's reflections on the bushires of Australia.

Below from left: Fr Jim Carty, Andrew Dumas (Marist Laity Australia), Fr Kevin Stewart and Sr Ruth Davis SM (Fr Ron Nissen not pictured). Other Committee members are Sr Margaret Tisch SMSM, Br Paul Murphy FMS and Frs Kevin Bates and Paul Mahony.                          [Mar 07]

Down Under under attack

This week's JPIC Blog is Australian Marist, Fr Jim Carty's, sober comment on the ecology and climate of his homeland. Go to the Blog: click here.                           [Mar 02]

Br Paul's letter from Thailand

This week's JPIC Blog is a letter from Marist Brother Paul Murphy FMS working with undocumented migrant children in Thailand. Go to the Blog: click here.                           [Feb 26]

After the fires

In two of his regular weekend reflections, Fr Kevin Bates SM, officers thoughtful challenges in the aftermath of recent fires and floods. Click for: After the fires, unfinished business and Too much excess.                             [Feb 22]

Beloved Amazon

This week's JPIC Blog from Rome taps into Pope Francis' post-synodial exhortation, 'Querida Amazonia - Beloved Amazon'.  Go the Blog: click here,  For the full text of 'Beloved Amazon', click here.                               [Feb 18]

BP20 under way

The latest in the ongoing series of 'Bridge Programs' commenced in early February. Twelve young adult 'BP-ers' from various parts of Myanmar and Thailand have begun a twenty-week journey of D.I.Y. assignments geared to prepare them for entrée to higher education and employment.

BP began in 2011 as a consequence of the Marist Mission Centre's involvement with Burmese refugee camp hostels and the establishment of Australia Catholic Universty's online diploma course.on the Thai-Myanmar border.

The Bridge Program is led by a team of former-BP-ers who upload assignments to the BP website and coordinate many of the program's activities including regular Skype video sessions.                        [Feb 14]

Above: Participants in BP20     |    Masthead of the Bridge Program website.

Below: Skype video sessions are integral to the Bridge Program in developing English language skills.     |    BP's signature image of a refugee youngster crossing a camp bridge into the future.     |    The Coordinating Team of BP20.

 WIHW

In this week's JPIC Blog, Fr Larry Sabud SM prepares for World Inter-Faith Harmony Week.   Go to the Blog: click here.                           [Feb 11] 

Caring for the green mountain

'Villa Santa Maria', the General House of the Society of Mary, is located in the 'Monteverde' ('green mountain') district of Rome. The Marist community keeps an active ecological eye on the grounds and its groves of fruit trees, terraces and lawns.

Assistant-General, Fr Ben Mc Kenna, (pictured below, watering can in hand), took photos of the recent tree-lopping at 'Monteverde' on the heights overlooking the city of Rome.

See also 'The greening of Rome' (May 2019): click here                                 [Feb 06]

Fr Luigi's well

In this week's JPIC Blog, from Cameroon, Africa, Marist missionary, Fr Luigi Savoldelli SM, describes a life-giving initiative . Click here.                             [Feb 04]

Unusual kindness

In this week's JPIC Blog from Rome, Fr Tony O'Connor shares moving stories of the experiences of his flock on the US-Mexican border. Go to the Blog: click here.                        [Jan 28]

Laudato Si and the Marist Family

This week's JPICC Blog from Rome features the Marist Family's planning for 2020's events surrounding Laudato Si. Go to the Blog: click here.                         [Jan 17]

Timo's story

Timothy Ehklokweh ('Timo' to his friends) is now an Australian citizen. Born in Karen State, Myanmar, in 1988, Timo's story reflects the success of the Marist Mission Centre's sowing seeds of hope, education and development along the Thai-Burma border for over twenty years.

Following his citizenship ceremony on Dec 18 in Brunswick, Melbourne, Timo commented: 'I especially want to thank MMC for being such a great support when we had nothing to live on or study with in the refugee camp. MMC offered great influences to me and helped a lot of young Karen to grow up with faith and education. Thank you, thank you!'

The images below tell something of Timo's story....                               [Jan 02] 

Above: A smiling Timo becomes an 'Aussie'   |   .... with his wife, Su Su.

Below: Timo as a 15-yr-old at MMC Hostel, Maera Moo refugee camp on the Tha-Burma border, 2004. Sent by anxious parents from his home village in Karen State, Myanmar, to the safety of Maera Moo, Timo began primary school at the camp, moving to high school during his MMC Hostel years.   |   ...with his sister, Lu Lu Paw, at MMC Hostel, 2005   |   ... learning music from Hostel carer, Paul Heh Htoo Moo, himself a product of MMC's Leadership & Management program at Mae La refugee camp. MMC funded several L&M centres in the border camps of Mae La, Mae Khong Kha, Mae La Oon and Mae Hong Son.

Above: Timo with fellow hostel students during MMC's scholarship program 2005. The refugee youth could choose English language, music or art skill development.    |    Hostel students (Timo, second from left) helping MMC's 'The Other Half' program visitors at Maera Moo camp.

Below: Timo and hostellers with TOH 2004.   |   MMC's 'Chanel House' project in Maesot, Thailand, 2006, saw Timo (front centre) in an initiative encouraging self-study and online research. All 'Chanelians' are now resettled in Australia, Canada and USA.