Abidjan (Ivory Coast). On 18 September 2022, Mother of God Province (AFO) organized an online meeting for the local Animators and Delegates involved in ecological issues, with the aim of helping the Province to become aware of the reality of integral ecology through an in-depth study of the Encyclical Laudato Si’, for a change of mentality and lifestyle.
The AFO Province received with joy and commitment the Deliberation of General Chapter XXIV on integral ecology and decided to commit themselves to safeguard the common home. To make this Chapter choice operational, an ‘ecological nucleus’ was constituted, made up of Sr. Marie Claire Mounkoro, responsible for Youth Ministry; Sr. Dieudonne Jean Louis, Provincial Councilor; and Sr. Cristina Vargas, of Blessed Laura Vicuña Community of Cotonou, Benin, in addition to local Delegates.
The Provincial, Sr. Yvette Badini, introduced the meeting starting with the Chapter Deliberation, recalled by Mother Chiara Cazzuola in the Message on the occasion of the Time of Creation 2022:
The Chapter Assembly allowed itself to be challenged by the cry of the young, the poor, and the earth, and decided to involve the whole Institute in a concrete and ongoing journey of conversion to integral ecology, taking on the seven objectives of “Laudato Si’,” in the spirit of the Preventive System.
She then thanked the ‘ecological nucleus’ for their commitment in seeking to make these requests concrete and feasible, involving the province realities in a common journey.
During the meeting, a Province itinerary was presented to the Animators and Delegates of the Communities with a series of ten modules elaborated on issues related to ecology, to encourage reflection and an in-depth study of the Encyclical Laudato Si’ on care for the Common Home.
The themes of the ten modules take up the Chapters of LS: Diverse perspectives, from the culture of rejection to the culture of acceptance; what is happening in our common home; the Gospel of creation; the human root of the ecological crisis; an integral ecology; some guidelines and action indications; ecological education and spirituality.
“The ecological conversion that is required to create a dynamism of lasting change is also a community conversion” (Pope Francis, LS 219).
