Living Laudato Si’ at the Woods
Laudato Si’ Week invites us to pause and remember that creation is not simply a resource to consume, but a sacred gift entrusted to our care. In 2015, the late Pope Francis released Laudato Si’, a groundbreaking encyclical urging the world to protect “our common home.”
The Holy Father reminds us that the suffering of our earth and the suffering of the poor are deeply connected.
Pollution, climate change and environmental destruction are not separate from human hardship.
Instead, they reveal the need for what he called an “integral ecology,” a way of living that honors both creation and human dignity.
A Time of Prayer, Reflection, Action
Each May, Catholics around the world celebrate Laudato Si’ Week, an eight-day observance commemorating the anniversary of the encyclical. It is a time of prayer, reflection and action – a global call for people of faith to care for creation in tangible ways.
The week serves as a reminder that protecting the environment is not merely a political issue or passing trend, but a spiritual responsibility rooted in love for God and neighbor.
Here at the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, the mission of Laudato Si’ is alive and growing. The White Violet Center for Eco-Justice beautifully embodies this call to stewardship.
Love Letter to Creation
This ministry of the Sisters of Providence is truly a love letter to creation. Visitors will discover a herd of alpacas, laying hens, orchards, a five-acre USDA certified organic garden, a Farm Store and peaceful nature trails winding through the grounds.
Beyond the farm itself, White Violet Center offers workshops, cooking classes, internships and volunteer opportunities that encourage sustainable living and ecological awareness.
During this Laudato Si’ Week, you are invited to become part of that mission by volunteering at the White Violet Center this spring and summer. The farm is bustling with activity and many hands are needed to help care for the land and animals.
Volunteers may assist in the gardens with tasks such as bed preparation, transplanting in the high tunnel, weeding, harvesting produce, washing and packing vegetables or seeding crops for future harvests.
Morning volunteer opportunities are also available for animal care. These chores include mucking barns, filling hay, cleaning and refilling water buckets, caring for the chickens and collecting eggs. In pleasant days, volunteers may also help maintain and clean the pastures.
Garden and animal care tasks involve heavy lifting and physical labor, but they are also deeply rewarding. There is something sacred about working with your hands in the soil, tending living things and participating in the healing of creation.
If you love the outdoors, want to serve the community and hope to further the mission of Laudato Si’, we would love to welcome you. This Laudato Si’ Week, may we move beyond awareness into action – caring for our common home one seed, one chore and one act of service at a time.
