Thursday, March 12, 2026
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Leon Valley's Earth Wise and Small Bites of Sharing
Ecological culture cannot be reduced to a series of urgent and partial responses to the immediate problems of pollution, environmental decay and the depletion of natural resources. There needs to be a distinctive way of looking at things, a way of thinking, policies, an educational programme, a lifestyle and a spirituality which together generate resistance to the assault of the technocratic paradigm. (LS 111)
It is only a little over a month before Earth Day. Leon Valley is ready for the mission to be sustainable and bringing different like-minded people to share their knowledge and products to those who are ready to learn.
Last March 7, Leon Valley hosted its 36th year of Earthwise. The event was supported by its mayor herself, Ms. Chris Riley. She was proud to say that it is Leon Valley that started the recycling in Bexar County where by the residents approach the City Council to make the change.
Several organizations were present showcasing their part in sustainability solution from library, fire department, insurance, school clubs, hand-made accessories from Peru, Fair Trade merchandise from different countries, Sierra Club, tea maker, gift items, gardening, parish Laudato Si' representative, and many more. Laudatory Si' Movement TX, Incarnate Word Sisters JPIC US, Pax Christi, Saint Anthony Catholic High School Earth Angels collaborated for one table giving away informational card and talking to people for specific actions on being sustainable. The Laudato Si' Animators program is also advertised, knowing that people need to be in community in order to truly be sustainable in this connected world.
By getting the signatures for the passport from eight organization tables, the attendee gets his sustainable prize. Some people brought their children while others walked with their pets. People did not go home without nothing to plant, there were give away vegetables, plants, seeds and trees.
One Earthwise attendee, Anne, who is an Incarnate Word Associate, shared that she learned with the Laudato Si' prayer to care for all including animals. It has changed her way of seeing other creatures. Starting that time she prayed the card for the environment and conversion, she became angels for the insects and instead of killing she only scooped them out of her house. The creatures she started caring for include wasps. She even found out an interesting trivia about wasps. It can recognize faces if they are enemies or friends. When they are taken cared of by someone, the wasps will not hurt him or her as it recognizes the person as a friend.
Working together is certainly fun and makes the work lighter and more meaningful. We all learned from different works from talented people who are making a difference in this world.
A lady holding the book she converted into photo book
Project Mend makes used of old Wheelchairs to fix and give away
Saint Anthony Catholic High School Earth Angels
posing with Pax Christi, and CCVI JPIC
Mayor Chris
Anne and Arthur
Saint Anthony Catholic High School Earth Angels talking to the people
Image made possible by Saint Anthony Catholic High School Earth Angels
Read More on Actions and Information on Sustainability
Choosing Earth Choosing Life: Sharing and Reflection on March 10 6:30pm Central Time
Pope Leo XIV has been supportive from the start in continuing to respond to the needs of the vulnerable very evident in our Common Home. He supports Pope Francis legacy which is the encyclical Laudatory Si'. The hopes of this encyclical are put into actions through through Laudatory Si' Movement, Laudatory Si' Animators, and Laudatory Si' Action Platform. Our Common Home can only be healed by our commitment to slow down the consumption and production and changing our lifestyle. Business As Usual is no longer the case in order to have a sustainable future. What we need is to support each other in having a conscientious living and not about an unrealistic unlimited consumption and production which is a model of the capitalist economy.
Pope Leo XIV, in his message for the Lent, is asking us to listen to the liturgy and connect it with the reality, fast on pride and live in humility and faith, and finally to work together, being in dialogue, in solidarity with the vulnerable and collaborating with each other within the community that upholds justice and reconciliation.
There are visions that can give us hope and goals to achieve for our Common Home through our associations and network who with the global platforms such as Laudatory Si' Action Platform, a Catholic medium of envisioning and taking actions toward sustainable Common Home. There are other organizations such as Green Faith and Climate Reality project committed to the United Nations through COP to meet the net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
To learn more about the Climate Change and the challenges and the reality that we are facing, please watch the Choosing Earth and Choosing Life.
In line with this movie is the Franciscan Sisters Congregation will have a sharing and reflection about this documentary scheduled on March 10 6:30pm Central Time - 8:00pm Central Time:
https://franciscansisters-olph.org/events/march-10-film-choosing-earth-choosing-life-via-zoom/
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Nature and Spirituality
Nature and Spirituality
From the announcement of the encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si, on May 24, 2015, there have been local and national public showings of a film which emphasizes that this is a message for all people and that all are invited to be involved in the concerns addressed.
In San Antonio, we have had showings of the film which depicts Pope Francis inviting a group of people from all over the world to share concerns and implement the message.
In San Antonio, we have had celebrations, educational events, educational institution fairs, prayer events and processions which have addressed climate change and our participation in the problems and the solutions.
The Archbishop of San Antonio announced a commitment to this cause, and has created a position to implement Laudato Si in all the parishes.
Virginia Mata, PhD leads the outreach to the parishes, which has resulted in much interest and activities to heal our planet.
Upon hearing of these actions and reflecting on the role of the Catholic Church, members of the environmental community have asked how we can compliment each other and we met with church leaders.
Following several conversations and a review of the encyclical by Antonio Frietze, Director of Adult Education at Oblate College, members of Laudato Si, the Sierra Club and Pax Christi Texas are ready to begin an education program which addresses Spirituality and Nature. As emphasized in the encyclical, the poor and the marginalized are most affected by climate change.
Our effort will involve the poor, as well as other religious and ethnic groups in understanding and appreciating our beliefs, practices, and common concerns. Through collaboration,. we will be better able to address the problems of climate change and the hopes that we can be stronger when working together.
Our intent is to support the agencies participating and provide resources to support each other. This is an education program to build community, to share and understand spiritualities, and to learn from the environmental community ways to act for the healing of our planet.
We will gather, every two months, at Oblate School of Theology for two hours. Students from St. Anthony High School will lead with a mixer, so that participants will learn about the gifts and resources of each other…and build community.
Representatives of cultures will share their beliefs and practices as related to Climate Change, and environmentalists will share concerns, resources and solutions.
The purpose is to share ideas and practices that participants can take home to their local community as well as literature, videos and names of speakers that could be invited to local groups.
Whether one is affiliated with a presenting group, or interested in general, all are invited to build this community of advocates and learners.
In the words of Alan Montemayor, the leader of the Alamo Sierra Club, and others, we should not underestimate the effects of an action by one person or one group.
Our first program is scheduled for Saturday March 14, 2026 at Oblate College, 285 Oblate Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78216 at 10 am.
A proposed listing includes:
February: Spirituality: Mennonite Nature: Plastics
April: Spirituality: Native American Nature: Heat
May: Spirituality: Hinduism Nature: Trees
For more information contact;
Contact Arthur Dawes arthurdawes@att.net 210-213-5919Sunday, February 22, 2026
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