Students connect their faith with the environment

By Natalie Garner
Clarion Herald contributing writer
Back to School

For a week in June, I attended one of the most transformative religious experiences of my life: FaithActs Summer Youth Theology Institute at Loyola University New Orleans. Guided by students from Loyola New Orleans and Loyola Chicago, participants enjoyed a week of intriguing presentations about environmental issues, guest speakers working to address those issues and peaceful reflection and prayer about what we can do to live more sustainable lives.

Additionally, we got more involved in our community by building gardening plots and canoeing down the Bogue Falaya River.

My favorite part of the program was creating a project to address an environmental issue that matters most to us. My project was aimed at reducing the waste of “fast fashion,” which refers to cheap, trendy clothing that is worn a few times and then discarded.

As a rising high school senior at Ursuline Academy, I am living in a blur of college-related technical terms such as “demonstrated interest” and “early action.” As a result, I have not been as focused on other issues that are important to me, such as the environment and my faith.

Program got me thinking

Thankfully, FaithActs was the perfect outlet to learn simultaneously about college, the environment and faith. Before participating in FaithActs, I had never experienced what it was like to live in a dorm or eat every meal in a dining hall. Yet, by the end of the program, not only had I become familiar with the college lifestyle, but I also had the opportunity to hear a presentation from the Loyola admission’s office about  its application process.

By gaining greater awareness of the local natural environment and listening to speakers share their journeys of fighting for environmental justice, I have grown to be more appreciative of the beautiful Earth God gave us and all it does to improve our lives. As a Catholic, I had the opportunity to explore Ignatian prayer and use the Ignatian Daily Examen to reflect on how God is present in my life each day.

Throughout FaithActs, I learned that the environment and faith have always been interconnected. Many human actions that go against the teachings in the Bible also hurt the health of our environment. For example, Jesus teaches us to be humble and share worldly possessions with those in need; however, some people indulge in excessive consumerism, which takes a harmful amount of resources out of nature. Additionally, some of the most prominent stories in the Bible use nature metaphorically, such as the use of a rainbow in the story of Noah to represent hope. Since God uses the beauty of nature to speak to us and remind us of his love, protecting the environment should be considered a faith-related issue.

FaithActs introduced me to a term that changed my outlook on my own activism: “youth religious leader.” I learned that even as a young person, I have the power to advocate in and for my parish and archdiocese. Whether it is bringing up the gifts during Mass or participating in service projects with my school, any act done for God shows my commitment to his word. I pray my actions as a youth religious leader inspire others in my generation and church community to contribute to the betterment of society.

But, it does not stop there. As Pope Francis made clear in his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si,” which proposed that environmental issues directly intersect with faith, being a youth religious leader is being an advocate for a cleaner Earth.

To live out my faith through future action, I commit myself to attending more trash pick-ups and events to plant trees in the wetlands in order to protect God’s greatest gift: nature. The connections I made with the other participants at FaithActs gave me insight into the power of youth voices and hope for the mission of “Laudato Si.” I am now more motivated than ever to advocate for a more environmentally conscious world.

Natalie Garner is a senior at Ursuline Academy in New Orleans. The purpose of FaithActs Summer Youth Theology Institute is to help rising junior and senior students see themselves as young faith leaders, in particular with regard to the connection between faith and creation. Contact cnh.loyno.edu/lim/lplc/faithacts.