By Christina Bagaglio Slentz, Ph.D.
With over half of our parishes solarized and divestment from fossil fuels accomplished, Bishop Michael Pham is adding a new Diocese of San Diego initiative in response to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We have named this initiative “Common Home, Common Ground,” or CHCG. Moved by what he observed while visiting the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) Laudato Si’ Farm in Tagaytay, Philippines, Bishop Pham is asking every parish and school to reflect on how we can engage with the land we steward, gardening and farming our Catholic land to sow beauty and feed our community.
Bigger than Texas!
The Catholic Church owns about 177 million acres of land worldwide, making it the largest non-governmental landowner on Earth. That is larger than France, the largest country in Europe, and bigger than Texas, the largest state in the continental United States.
Certainly, stewarding this property comes with great responsibility and, as the gift of creation is naturally life-giving, this land offers great potential for the promotion of human flourishing, especially helping our brothers and sisters in need. In Tagaytay, they not only foster eco-spirituality on the beautiful grounds, but also grow
Read more...
