The SJCBI community, through the Elementary Department’s sponsorship, gathered together to celebrate the annual World Day of prayer for the Care of Creation at the Parish Church of Parokia San Jose Mangmangged last September 1, 2019. 

Pope Francis encouraged the faithful to join in prayer and action to protect our planet during this Season of Creation 2019 with the theme “Biodiversity: God’s web of life.” which runs from September 1 to October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. 

Headed by the Office of the Campus Ministry, the SJCBI community unites with thousands of Catholics around the world under the Global Catholic Climate Movement in prayer and action. The event started with an Earth Day Prayer Service and followed by the celebration of the Holy Eucharist presided by Chaplain Fr. Arsenio dela Cruz.

The issue of global environmental deterioration is part of the long history of Catholic teaching, but in 2015, it became the raison d’etre of a new Encyclical entitled Laudato Si’ where the Pope expressed his lament over the abuses of our common home.

“We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life,” read a portion of Laudato Si’.

Faced with this reality, the SJCBI community rejoices in this opportunity to respond to the Holy Father’s invitation to use this Day for prayer and reflection as mission to “hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”.

“The annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will offer individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.” said Pope Francis

By Reagan Q. De Leon