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Holy Name Monastery
Founded 1889

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Earth Day

Earth Day

April 22, 2022 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

Earth Day – April 22, 2022

Ever hear a mother ask her child, “Where on earth were you?”  This year Earth Day falls the week after the world celebrated Jesus’ conquest over death through his resurrection.  Where are we every earth day?  How have we treated our planet earth this past year?  What has changed?  So much.

Here in the monastery’s sacred environment we breathe in the fragrance of Easter lilies, freshly baked bread, and alas, we know the taste of worldly reality.  Much has intensified since last Earth Day.  Our belief in Jesus’ presence in everyday personal situations which contrasts with an awareness of world polarities on our mother earth as the amount of prayer requests on our website increases.

On the opposite side of the globe, souls scream for change as ice glaciers continue to warm and break off, as satanic evil power destroys our neighbor and land –similar to the Roman Empire era of Jesus’ day.  Caring persons work tirelessly doing good to eradicate mounting desperation, poverty, ignorance, violence, war and greed. So much reform needs to happen to save our earth.  None of us lives in isolation.  All events impact us because all are our neighbors.

If daily news overwhelms us, it’s mandatory to get back to garden therapy  to pray with and for the earth’s peoples, uproot a weed, rearrange a shelf, reseed a crop, prune a blueberry branch, harvest a squash, and bring a yield to the kitchen.  As developers invade the land causing fewer organisms to exist, our sacred monastery space becomes all the more special.  Some Sisters faithfully walk our prayer path seeking strength, relief, comfort or peace for others on their earthly journey just as Jesus breathed the same air we breathe and walked this earth.

Our souls are eager for bits of good news – a friend who will finally get her green card, a new grandpa-to-be, Easter e-cards from friends, an innocent child singing her grace before meal prayer, kind donors who faithfully support us, a pension application in process, several volunteers who help to carry the load.  The greatest Good News is proclaimed and heard each morning as we continually relive the death and resurrection of Christ and of ourselves.  May these thoughts give hope to your Earth Day.

~by Sister Miriam Cosgrove

 

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Filed Under: Prayer Tagged With: 2022, April 22, Earth Day, Earth day 2022, Easter lillies, globe, Jesus, monastery, where on earth were you

Earth Day

April 22, 2021 by Holy Name Monastery 1 Comment

Earth Day – April 22, 2021

How long will it last?  Earth —  Pandemic  —  Humanity  —  Water  —  What I bought  —  Life.  Initially, the direction of this Earth Day sharing covered so many issues of concern that it was overwhelming to focus on the positive.  So many obvious dark realities are competing for attention – earth’s rising temperatures from gases trapping earth’s heat, climate changes, deforestation, intensified weather crises, waste from factory emissions, and imbalance of wealth and poor.  Is there light at the end?  What will lift our spirits?

What do we often think about?  Is it global or narrow?  One great answer on this Earth Day is our focus on living in harmony with all nature.  It is very possible to do more with less, to be eco-efficient and very many people are needed to do that.  For Sister Miriam in our aquaponics, many happy fish create our solution to countless possibilities and make for a peaceful harmonious spirit.  We work locally and think and pray globally.  Now take a look at a wider scale.

Some world-wide restoration is under way.  Homegrown food gardens are flourishing.  Roof-top gardens are being engineered on city buildings in 39 states for plants to grow in a layer of soil to cycle water.  The idea is that plants take in carbon, are food, and make oxygen.  The common factor here is healthy soil since the more plants and trees there are, the more carbon is sent to the ground where it belongs, then the more microbes there are, and the better everything grows.  Also, regenerative agriculture is aiding to reverse climate change using natural practices, some of which the monastery is doing.  Also on the world-wide scale, waste gasification is happening by a few companies who turn trash from homes and offices into low emission fuels.  Policy makers, entrepreneurs and farmers are increasingly looking to restoring soils in their goal to slow climate change.  Sadly, so many consumers give little thought to waste, plastics and the usual fate of single-use containers, as if individuals can’t make a difference.  Do the materials in your purchases bio-degrade to become soil in Earth’s biological cycle?  More than 90% of materials used to make durable goods in our nation become waste almost immediately.  Do we need less?  A guest speaker, Sister Karen Joseph, OSB, years ago advised, “Refuse to consume more than we need.”

Our aquaponics/hydroponics systems have sustained the monastery and local friends’ fresh food needs doing more than we ever thought possible.  On average, we yield 500 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruit per three Florida seasons in addition to 200 fresh fish harvests.  Our fish are the sustainable answer and make so much possible.

When you asked why the Earth is warming and wanted answers, each of these projects and countless others are doable solutions to restore and save our Earth.  We must take personal responsibility, do more.

It’s so difficult for this fish farmer to focus in on one current issue that it needs a whole week of intensive training by expert instructor Phil Reasons to cover, and when “normal life” returns there will again be aquaponics/hydroponics sessions here at Holy Name Monastery.  We have so many “fishy” friendships and one of the greatest bond we have is that to God’s beautiful Earth.  How engaged to the Earth can a person be?  We have a volunteer program for willing hearts and hands, so connect with us if you want to get more engaged on this Earth Day, and Happy Birthday to Phil and Lukie Reasons on their joint birthday!

~by Sister Miriam Cosgrove, OSB

 

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Filed Under: Prayer Tagged With: Aquaponics, Earth Day, Earth Day 2021, fish, global, Hydroponics, Phil Reasons, plants, trees, vegetables

Witness & Grace Conversations: A Special Program by Global Sisters Report and EarthBeat

April 21, 2021 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

How Catholic Sisters are Helping to Save the Earth

— and You Can Too


Presented by Sr. Sheila Kinsey and Sr. Melinda Roper

 

The webinar below took place on April 13th, but you can watch the recording. 

Just click on the link below and it will take you to the recording.

Catholic Sisters have long been involved in efforts to protect the environment, address climate change and care for creation. Sr. Sheila Kinsey shared a global view from her vantage point in Rome on how sisters around the world are effecting positive change. Sr. Melinda Roper shared the grassroots efforts of her teamwork with local communities in the particularly sensitive eco-environment of Darién, Panama.

This special hour-long conversation was moderated by EarthBeat Editor Barbara Fraser and GSR Editor Gail DeGeorge, and these sisters brought insights and information on the some of the pressing needs of our planet, how sisters are making a difference – and you can too. 

Watch Recording

(click on the link above to watch recording of webinar)

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: Catholic Sisters help save the Earth, Earth Day, Global Sisters Report, Save the Earth, webinar, webinar recording, Witness & Grace Conversations

Earth Day Special: The 10 most beautiful places!

April 20, 2021 by Holy Name Monastery Leave a Comment

Celebrating Earth Day with the

10 Most Beautiful Places on Earth

  ~Article by 123RF

Moonlit mountains, azure oceans, shifting sand dunes, colorful flower fields – we truly live on a beautiful planet.

This Earth Day, let us celebrate the natural wonders that remain and remind ourselves of what we must preserve for our future generations.

1. Dolomites, Italy

Located in northeastern Italy, the Dolomites form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and stretch from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. Geologically, the mountain range is made of light-colored dolomitic limestone. Carved by time and erosion, the resulting landforms consist of jagged ridges, deep gorges and glaciated peaks.

The region around the Dolomites is honestly one of the most beautiful places on Earth – a haven for hikers and adventurers. Nothing beats a Dolomites hiking trip, with trails weaving through forests, across sprawling meadows and sweeping green valleys dotted with quaint alpine villages straight out of a fairytale.

2. Vinicunca, Peru

Vinicunca, or more famously known as Rainbow Mountain, has blown up on social media over the past few years and is arguably the second most visited attraction in Peru after Machu Picchu.

Ranging from turquoise and lavender to maroon and gold, its signature striped colors, vibrant under the sun, are largely due to weathering and mineral deposits. Red coloration of sedimentary layers often indicates a trace of iron oxide rust, whereas the bright yellow could be due to iron sulphide within the pore cement.

3. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Extending more than 4,050 square miles of the Altiplano in South America, Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, or better known as the world’s biggest mirror.

Left behind by evaporated prehistoric lakes, the flat is covered with polygonal patterns of salt rising from the ground. However, at certain times of the year, nearby lakes would overflow and transform the flat into a strikingly surreal reflective canvas. This otherworldly terrain serves not only as a tourist attraction, but also as a lucrative extraction site for salt and lithium.

4. Godafoss, Iceland

Cradled between Akureyri and Lake Mývatn, Godafoss is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland, flowing over a 30-meter wide horseshoe-shaped rock that rises in the center. Hence, the waterfall is separated into two – one section is about 9 meters high, and the other has a height of 17 meters.

With its elegant streams of ice-blue glacial water and picturesque basalt pillars, Godafoss is nicknamed the “Waterfall of The Gods.” Some believe the name comes from the fact that the waterfall has god-like, unparalleled beauty, while others tell the old tale of a Viking leader throwing his pagan statues of Nordic gods into the waterfall, resulting in its name.

5. Isle of Skye, Scotland

Connected to Scotland’s northwest coast by bridge, Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides with a deeply indented coastline. Known for its undulating hills, rugged cliffs, medieval castles and ethereal pools, the Isle of Skye is one of the top locations to visit in Scotland.

Most people have heard of the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye as they are famous for their bewitching beauty. Like a magical oasis, the pools are vivid aqua blue and clear as crystal. They are also famous for wild swimming, imploring visitors to brave the frigid waters.

6. Mount Fuji, Japan

Located about 60 miles west of the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area , Mount Fuji, also commonly known as Fuji-san or Fujiyama, is the tallest mountain in Japan. The 12,388-foot sacred mountain is actually a volcano that has been dormant since its last eruption in 1707, but is still classified as active by geologists.

Revered for its majestic beauty and remarkable symmetry, Fuji has always been more than just an icon of Japan. It is venerated as a holy ground for pilgrimage, a dwelling place for deities and ancestors, a portal to an ascetic otherworld.

7. Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

Along the shores of Lake Tekapo, thousands of lupine grow in different shades of pink, purple and blue. Though they are not native to New Zealand, these lupins really do seem to bloom beautifully on the nation’s South Island. The sea of lupine juxtaposes against the turquoise waters and the misty mountain backdrop, creating one of the country’s signature landscapes.

8. Halong Bay, Vietnam

No trip to northern Vietnam is complete without a cruise on Halong Bay. With over 1,600 limestone islands and islets scattered across the Bay, each one of them worn down by 500 million years of tropical downpours and topped with lush green jungle growth, this natural wonder is like something straight out of a movie. As a matter of fact, Halong Bay has made appearances in countless Hollywood blockbuster movies.

9. Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Known as the heart of Arizona and the soul of the Navajo Nation, Antelope Canyon is made up of two magnificent slot canyons on Navajo land in the American Southwest. While massive gorges like the Grand Canyon are generally long and wide expanses of alluvial erosion, slot canyons are very slim passages that twist through the rock. Antelope Canyon’s winding walls were carved by centuries of water erosion, sculpted by fast-flowing flash floods carrying abrasive debris.

Upper Antelope, also known as “The Crack” is the more popular of the two slot canyons and is the most photographed slot canyon in the world. The vibrant shade of the swirling sandstone changes at different times of the day, depending on the amount of sunlight that seeps through the crack.

10. Napali Coast, Hawaii

Spanning 17 miles along Kauai’s North Shore, the Napali Coast is famous for its emerald green cliffs with razor-sharp ridges that tower above the Pacific Ocean. The lush sea cliffs are punctuated by narrow valleys, stunning beaches and cascading waterfalls – it truly is a sight to behold.

In conclusion…

For many years, humans have been recklessly exploiting Earth’s bountiful resources and wreaking damage to Mother Nature. But the natural world is resilient. Great riches still remain. Beautiful places such as these must remain. And with our collective efforts, our planet shall recover.

For more breathtaking landscapes and beautiful places, check out our specially curated Earth Day collection.

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Filed Under: Blog, Front Page, Homily Tagged With: 10 most beautiful places, Antelope Canyon-Arizona, Dolomites-Italy, Earth Day, Earth Day Special, Godafoss-Iceland, Halong Bay-Vietnam, Isle of Skye-Scotland, Lake Tekapo-New Zealand, Mount Fuji-Japan, Napali Coast-Hawaii, Salar de Uyuni-Bolivia, Vinivuna-Peru

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