Listening to the Cry of the Earth

Our school theme this year at Catholic Regional College St Albans, is to listen to the cry of the earth and listen to the cry of the poor. At our Social Justice council meeting this week we explored how we as a school community can listen to the cry of the earth and how our individual actions impact on our school systems. The issue we identified as having the greatest impact was litter. When students drop litter in the yard this blows into our pond in the Jubilee garden and affects the habitat of our fish. Currently very little of our school litter is recycled and much of the waste will also make its way into landfill. In Term 3 our Social Justice Team is introducing a zero litter strategy on the school grounds of Catholic Regional College St Albans. This will involve an education campaign run by the Social Justice Council which includes clearly labelled recycle bins in the school yard.

Other changes that will be occurring in our school yard during Term 3, is a painted mural. The Arts staff and students worked with a mural artist to develop an artwork design that represents the cultural diversity of our school. The mural which will be painted onto the wall of the main stage, will contain flora and fauna of the 44 countries represented in our school. There will be olive tree branches threaded through the mural, connecting the flowers and animals. Olive trees are grown on all continents. It is universal. The mural will include a quote from Genesis `And God saw that it was good’.

September marks the beginning of the season of creation where as a school we will familiarise ourselves with Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si’. The following is a excert from the encyclical and prayer which the Social Justice leaders plan to share at the school assembly this term:

Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth. #92

Creator God, 

You fill the earth with life, lead us to live in harmony with the earth you have created. May we respect all life from the smallest of plants to the tallest of trees, the vastness of the oceans to the majesty of mountains and the tiniest insects to the wildest beasts.