Ecology, Spirituality and Justice

This afternoon Sister Leanne Jablonski gave a lecture titled “Ecology, Spirituality, and Justice.” Sister Leanne Jablonski is a Marianist Catholic nun. In addition to being a nun she is also has a PhD in ecology. She is someone with vast amounts of knowledge in both the field of religion and the field of science. Sister Leanne currently works with MEEC, the Marianist Environmental Education Center, MEEC is connected to the University of Dayton in Ohio.

Sis. Leanne talked a great length about the issues in ecology today and how they connect to spirituality and religion. She discussed how as a society we are suffering from a loss of personal experience with nature. Sis. Leanne also pointed out that our society is a very consumptive society and one focused on individualism. The final crisis is that we are becoming alienated from nature. She reference the late Pope John Paul II who said that if we lose a connection to nature, we lose a connection to people and if we lose a connection to people, we lose a connection to God.

After discussing three crises in ecology and religion, Sis. Leanne then went on to discuss three main aspects of how religion and ecology are connected. First she talked about how nature can offer a place for quite, peaceful, tranquil thought and prayer. The second aspect is our stewardship to the environment. The last is environmental justice, which deals with issues such as sustainability.

She then previewed what MEEC is all about. MEEC is a 100-acre property used to educate middle school students through adults about the environment and its role in spirituality. University of Dayton student organizations take advantage of this wonderful facility. They help out by working to take care of the land, and they also hold retreats on the grounds. In addition to University of Dayton organizations, local youth groups, students preparing for confirmation and adults use the center for some of the same purposes.

She then addressed the issue of environmental justice. This concept is quite simple; we as a society are being overbearing on our environment. In order to preserve that precious environment we must take action. She then listed out several initiatives from various religions that all deal with the same issue of solving this problem. A list of the various organizations is listed below:

• Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL)
• USCCB's Environmental Justice Program: Caring for God's Creation
• National Council of Churches of Christ Eco-Justice Programs
• Evangelical Environmental Network