My name is Sor Rosa Molla Freytas, and I am a Laudato Si’ Animator based in Peru. I am responsible for the Integral Ecology Commission and the promotion of the Laudato Si´ Action Platform throughout the sixteen Daughters of Mary Help of Christians educational communities.
The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians has education as its main mission, focusing on the evangelization of girls and young people.
Building a Laudato Si’ Plan
When deciding what to include in our Laudato Si’ Plan, we started by listening to the reality of Laudato Si´. Reflecting on the encyclical’s goals and the challenges it presents was our inspiration for joining the Laudato Si´ Action Platform.
The clear methodology of the Platform and its ability to walk us step by step through the conception and capturing of information brought with it:
- Creativity, commitment, and a collaborative spirit of work between members of the Daughters of Mary educational communities
- A realization of the concrete actions available to us in working towards the care of our common home
- Deeper meaning and relevance to our actions that led to a change of attitude – from an attitude of indifference to one that makes every effort to protect and improve our world
- A conviction to work in direct dialogue with those responsible for the local communities
Bringing a Laudato Si’ Plan to Life
Starting in March of 2022 and continuing throughout the year, various meetings were held with the pastoral team, with the Sisters, and with each of the community animators to determine what steps we needed to take to put together our Laudato Si’ Plan.
The thoughtful, sometimes challenging journey on the path to bringing our Laudato Si’ Plan to life allowed us to listen to various points of view and involve many diverse voices in our decisions.
At the local level, each community began the process by sharing reflections and proposing concrete actions and commitments to integrate the experience into day to day life.
Uniting our pastoral team with local leaders of each community, we were able to identify the unique strengths and actions individual communities could bring to the table. We then transferred that information into an annual Laudato Si’ Plan.
This personalized approach took time and patience. But each step further reminded us that “everything is connected” and gave deeper meaning to the work we planned. (LS 91)
Concrete Results Since the Formation of our Laudato Si’ Plan
- In March 2022, an Integral Ecology Commission Facebook page was created, allowing members of each participating community to
- Give and receive feedback to common questions and shared challenges.
- Outline the steps they are taking to achieve the goals of the Laudato Si’ Plan.
- Since April 2022, the Commission has been generating an integral ecology formative and resource blog, which helps to promote both Pope Francis’ call to integral ecology and the tool that helps us directly answer that call – the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.
- From March to September 2022, the Commission helped guide the enrollment, formation, and participation of each of the local communities in the Laudato Si´ Action Platform.
- Starting October 2022, brief thoughts inspired by Laudato Si´ and the seven Laudato Si’ Goals have been integrated into the biweekly magazine of the province, which communities have been further sharing throughout their own social networks.
- Two Laudato Si´ progress meetings are held on formation Sundays of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
Find out more at: https://comisionecologiaintegralfmaperu.blogspot.com/
