Edition of Tuesday, October 13

The Office of Ecological Sustainability collaborated with New Pioneers for a Sustainable Future on several education and community engagement projects.

During an invasive species workshop at Nazareth, fifteen participants learned to identify common invasive plants and discussed management methods. Led by New Pioneers and supported by Melissa Varelas of the Office of Ecological Sustainability, the group identified bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, and privet outdoors. Participants practiced removing these plants and learned how to apply herbicide to cut stumps to prevent regrowth.

Varelas also assisted New Pioneers in preparing students from My Old Kentucky Home Middle School in Bardstown for a local town hall. The students used role-playing to practice discussing sustainability issues, such as solar energy and data centers, with community leaders. Varelas acted as a cattle farmer, a non-profit worker, and a solar company representative during these exercises.

The Office of Ecological Sustainability and New Pioneers are currently planning a one-day student camp at Nazareth for this fall to focus on environmental education and hands-on learning.

Bishop Henry Juma Odonya has challenged youth chaplains to strengthen spiritual formation and Eucharistic catechesis to ensure Church activities lead to a deeper commitment to the Catholic faith. Speaking at the Clergy Home on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the Bishop of Kitale expressed concern regarding the low number of young people receiving Holy Communion during the National Youth Mass and music festival in Mombasa.

As chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission for Youth Apostolate, Bishop Odonya urged chaplains to improve how they accompany young people toward a better understanding of the sacraments. He noted that while some youth participate actively in Church events, they often show little interest in catechesis or fail to receive Holy Communion despite being baptized.

The Bishop suggested that youth ministers examine whether their programs adequately address spiritual needs rather than focusing solely on participation. He cited St. Carlo Acutis as an example of how young people can maintain a profound spiritual life through devotion to the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Cantonese-speaking Catholics gathered at Our Lady of Lourdes in Sawston on Saturday, September 19, 2026, for the Vigil Mass of the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The congregation of 105 people included many recent arrivals from Hong Kong who have lived in the United Kingdom since late 2021. Attendees traveled from various locations including London, Colchester, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Bishop’s Stortford, and Harlow.

Fr. Peter Tan Hung Ho, who was ordained for the Diocese of East Anglia on July 4, 2026, served as the principal celebrant. Although he does not speak Cantonese, Fr. Peter conducted the liturgy by reading a Cantonese text using a Vietnamese phonetic transcript. This resource was provided by Canon John Minh, who has used similar phonetic methods to celebrate Cantonese Masses for over four years.

The gathering followed recent encouragement from Bishop Peter to celebrate migrant communities and occurred ahead of the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 27.

The Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception of India (CFIC) operates St. Joseph’s Nivas, a children's mission in the village of Serema, to support boys from underprivileged families in the Rayagada District of Odisha, India.

The mission serves 27 boys from remote areas of the Rayagada and Kandhamal districts. Many of these children come from the Kondh, Pano, and Saura tribal communities, where families often live on a daily income of approximately ₹300 to ₹350. Because the costs of school fees, uniforms, food, and housing are often too high for these families, many children are forced to leave school early to find work.

St. Joseph’s Nivas originally opened with 10 boys and now provides a residence, school, and religious community for those unable to continue their education due to poverty or the loss of a parent.

Monsignor Bernardo Pantin, Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, said religious freedom requires trust between different faith groups rather than just legal protections.

Speaking at the 33rd Annual International Law and Religion Symposium at Brigham Young University in Utah, Pantin noted that while laws can protect religious practices and prevent discrimination, they cannot build trust alone. He stated that trust grows through dialogue, friendship, hospitality, shared service, and repeated encounters.

Pantin argued that lasting religious freedom involves protecting people of various beliefs, acknowledging historical wounds, and confronting prejudice. He added that religious freedom gains credibility when people defend the rights of others as faithfully as they defend their own.