Central Catholic High School's Campus Ministry Cares for Creation

Central Catholic students, faculty, and parents attended Care for Creation, an Archdiocesan event. The event was followed by a pilgrimage to Mission San Juan, where students admired nature and learned how to preserve and care for it.

On Sunday, September 14, our Button LIFE leaders (accompanied by some of our Guardian Angels) attended an archdiocesan event titled “Care for Creation.” The event included 18 Central Catholic students, two Central Catholic faculty members, and several parents.

The event began with Mass at Mission Espada (Archbishop Gustavo was the celebrant). During his homily, Archbishop Gustavo discussed Laudato Si, an encyclical written by Pope Francis, which focuses on how we should care for our environment. 

The main theme of the Archbishop’s homily was how we often take nature for granted. Despite the fact that nature is beautiful and a gift from God, many people still pollute our planet in various ways, are wasteful with our resources, or put other species at risk of extinction. There are many reasons for this. Some of it might be due to ignorance or greed. 

Another recurring theme from the Archbishop’s homily was that when we “hurt” nature, we hurt each other. For example, a lack of water affects our farmers - and in turn, this affects God’s greatest creation, humans. He concluded his homily by reminding us that each of us make choices every day. Hopefully, we can all start making choices (even little ones) that are better for our planet and, ultimately, each other. 

The second half of the event was a “pilgrimage” to nearby Mission San Juan. Archbishop Gustavo made the hike with the crowd (and with the young men from Central). The hike put his message into a greater perspective. Walking from one mission to another, one could easily take in the beauty of a diverse ecosystem along the historic San Antonio River. 

In fact, at one point, the Archbishop even commented that he saw someone pick up some trash and throw it away! Moreover, the Archbishop even took the time to talk with our little group from Central. By the time the group arrived at Mission San Juan, it became clear that this had been a very special morning for all involved.  A very special shout-out goes out to Ms. Dorothy Hanson for inviting us to take part in such an impactful event!

Update sent by James Bendele

Ministry Lead, Central Catholic High School