Introduction: On Ecological Citizenship

“Mary is a garden of delights into which are sown all kinds of flowers and spice plants of the virtues.” St. Jerome

All of the world’s religions agree that the earth and its inhabitants should be treated with respect. In Catholic Social Teaching, this is expressed in a commitment to care for the created order. Catholicism calls upon its members to live in harmony with the natural world through responsible, ethical stewardship and a sense of ecological connectivity. This principle is grounded both in scripture and church tradition:

The earth and everything found within it belong to God. (Psalm 24:1) Humans are called upon to exercise stewardship of the animal and plant world. (Genesis 1:26, 28-29) God appoints humanity to be caretakers of the earth. (Genesis 2:15) “We human beings are not only the beneficiaries but also the stewards of other creatures.” (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel no. 215) “If we approach nature and the environment without [an] openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously.” (Pope Francis, Laudato si’ no. 11)

The last statement by Pope Francis was made with Francis of Assisi in mind. A thirteenthcentury Catholic saint, Francis made care for the created world a central component of his ministry: he wrote the Canticle of the Sun, a hymn of praise for creation, and legends report that he preached to the birds and persuaded a wolf to stop terrorizing a village. Francis’ reputation for a deep sensitivity to nature led Pope John Paul II to proclaim him the patron saint of ecologists in 1979 (Apostolic Letter Inter Sanctos 1509).

Through its affiliation with the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph, Hilbert draws inspiration from its Catholic, Franciscan heritage by highlighting the importance of treating the environment, God’s creation, with respect, and envisions this call as integrally connected to the formation of a just society. The Mary Garden project, begun in Fall 2020 by the students in Religion and Social Justice, is a visible and durable demonstration of our community’s commitment to the natural world and social justice.

In the pages that follow, our students will lead you on an informative journey that puts our garden in historical and theological context. Specifically, you will learn about biblical and Catholic perspectives on ecology, the work of the Saint Kateri Conservation Center, which sponsors the creation of these gardens throughout the world, and the history and symbolism of

the Mary Garden in the Catholic tradition. After reading the students’ work, we invite you to go outside to appreciate the visual and fragrant beauty of our garden, perhaps even taking a moment to consider the words of St. Francis, whose Canticle praises God for “our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”