Mercy & Stewardship

The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the sponsoring agency of Mt. Mercy Academy, has incorporated the following Mission Statement in our school’s guiding documents: 

“As women of Mercy we are called ‘to act in harmony and interdependence with all creation as stewards of the  Earth’s resources. We do this through recycling programs and environmental education which serves our local community”

Based upon this imperative, Mt. Mercy students collaborated with the administration at Mt. Mercy to put the following programs into place during the 2008-2009 school year:                                                                           

Recycling Programs

Paper recycling bins throughout the school. To date, alongside the efforts of Metro Waste Paper Recovery, students have captured for recycling over 4 tons of paper.  Also, the Mt. Mercy Environmental Awareness Club collects discarded cell phones to be donated to organizations that assist women in crises. Tshi club also participated in a re-treeing of Buffalo project. 

Educational Programs

A purposeful integration of environmental awareness into mathematics, science, social sciences, English and religion curriculum has been implemented.

Earth Day is April 22nd, a day that we do not have school. Environmental Awareness Club will be organizing two simple (but hopefully impacting) events the week of the 12th to celebrate Earth Day.

The first will be “Lights Off Day” on Tuesday, April 13th. On this day, we are asking all teachers to turn off the lights in the classroom and use as much natural light as possible, weather permitting. This is similar to Earth Hour, which took place March 27 (www.earthhour.org). The goal of this event is to show the amount of energy wasted on a daily basis and how other energy is greener and easier to use.

The second will be “Pack It Up Day” on Thursday, April 15th. On this day, we are asking everyone to take home any recyclable products he/she brought into or bought at the school for lunch. The goal of this event is to show the amount of recyclable products are thrown out every day and what we can do to try to stop ourselves from being so wasteful.

Our overall goal for these projects is to help educate others about these two issues which, if the education is applied every day, will help protect all future generations of the planet.

This year’s Lent Peace and Creation Calendar, with earth-saving suggestions and ideas can be downloaded and printed HERE.

The time of Lent is a time for fasting accompanied by prayer and meditation.  As we address the problem of climate change, we may consider “fasting from carbon” by using less energy, personally, as families and as organizations.  We can discern the negative impacts on global warming and God’s creation and ways to eliminate harmful practices.

Some practical ways to fast from carbon might be:

• Change at least one light bulb to long-lasting bulbs.
• Carry a cloth bag to the grocery store, don’t use plastic
• Be aware of using less water in showers, washers, etc.
• Use as little hot water as possible.
• Avoid drinking from commercial water bottles
• Plan for “greening” your property with a new tree or bush.

By Jane Deren

As we breathe the very air which sustains us,
We remember your love, God,
which gives us life.
Fill us with your compassion for Creation.
Empty us of apathy, selfishness and fear,
of all pessimism and hesitation.
Breathe into us solidarity
with all who suffer now
and the future generations who will suffer
because of our environmental irresponsibility.
Move us into action
to save our earth
and to build your sustainable Kingdom.
Amen.

By Teilhard de Chardin

I live at the heart of a single, unique Element,
the Center of the universe,
and present in each part of it:
personal Love and cosmic Power.
To attain to him and become merged into his life
I have before me the entire universe
with its noble struggles, its impassioned quests, its myriad of souls to be healed and made perfect.
I can and I must throw myself into the thick of human endeavor,
and with no stopping for breath.
For the more I bring my efforts to bear on the whole surface of reality,
the more also will I attain to Christ and cling close to him.
God who is eternal Being-in-itself,
is, one might say, ever in process of formation for us.
And God is also the heart of everything;
so much so that the vast setting of the universe
might be engulfed or wither away or be creation’s dust,
which is vitalized by a halo of energy and glory,
to be swept away, the substantial Reality
wherein every perfection is incorruptibly contained and possessed would remain intact;
the rays would be drawn back onto their Source and
there I should still hold them all in close embrace.

It is lovely indeed, it is lovely indeed.
I, I am the spirit within the earth
The feet of the earth are my feet.
The legs of the earth are my legs.
The strength of the earth is my strength.
The thoughts of the earth are my thoughts.
The voice of the earth is my voice.
The feather of the earth is my feather.
All that belongs to the earth belongs to me.
All that surrounds the earth surrounds me.
I, I am the sacred works of the earth.
It is lovely indeed, it is lovely indeed.

© Jan L. Richardson from Sacred Journeys (www.janrichardson.com)

May you know the embrace of Earth.

May she teach you the wisdom of time:
the unfolding of Spring
the ripening of Summer
the turning of Autumn
the shedding of Winter.

May she teach you the wisdom of intimacy:
seed embraced by warm, dark soil
crevice traced by insistent stream
raindrop clinging to new, soft leaf
precious stones in hidden places.

May she teach you the wisdom of grace:
flowers entwining fallen oak
healing gifts of common “weeds”
grain for bread, fruit for wine
dancing stars through barren branches.

May you be known in Earth’s embrace.

By Francis of Assisi, translated by Bill Barrett from the Umbrian text of the Assisi codex.

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility.

The Sisters asked the girls to take over the development and planning of further greening efforts. MMA administration responded by sponsoring six of girls (Nicole Tombolesi, Michelle Domes, Stephanie Khoury, Leah Moran, Katie Farr and Rylie Schreiber) to the Environmental Youth Summit held at Park School on April 24 & 25. Meeting with student groups from 7 other public and private schools, the girls first worked on improving their leadership and creative problem solving skills and then dove into the task of identifying MMA’s next environmental challenge.

They set a two-prong goal: (1) the reduction of Mercy cafeteria and yard waste via composting and (2) use of compost to enhance Mercy gardens. Diving right into their work , they did a waste analysis, a composter design review and wrote a grant request for project funding. Within one month, the girls obtained their funding, within two months they had their materials, and on August 1st Rylie and Nicole (under the guidance of their fathers) constructed Mercy’s new 3-bin composter.

Well done, Mercy Girls!