Announcing an Eco-Spirituality Collaboration
By Anne Curtis, RSM
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We have received two books of divine revelation, the book of Scripture and the book of nature. Creation is a sacred text through which the presence of God is revealed. Mercy by the Sea and Mercy Farm are places of exquisite beauty where creation and the Divine are met. As I gaze upon the water or walk the land, it is clear in me that our relationship with the Divine and creation is integral to the flourishing of all beings.
Since 2005, the Sisters of Mercy have had a commitment “to reverence Earth and work more effectively toward the sustainability of life.” There are many ways this commitment has been integrated into Mercy ministries. The Northeast Community initiated the work of Mercy Ecology in 2006. An eco-spirituality retreat house and farm in Benson, Vermont, and New Dawn Center for education in Cumberland, Rhode Island were established. (New Dawn has since had to close.) Mercy by the Sea was also part of this effort before closing for renovation. The dream was to help bring about a healing of Earth and provide a haven of peace where people could reconnect with the natural world through educational and experiential opportunities.
As of September 2018, I am thrilled to step into a collaboration between Mercy Ecology and Mercy by the Sea developing and offering eco-spirituality programs. My focus is to deepen the efforts of making the two books of divine revelation evident, vibrant and accessible. Through integrating the spirituality of ecology into programs, practices and decision-making, I hope that all who visit will experience the gifts of creation and come to know what Teilhard de Chardin called the “breathing together of all things.”