Taking time to enjoy nature’s beauty - the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa. CHM Communications Director Lisa Martin, CHM President Johanna Rickl and CHM Administrative Assistant Kelly Bell. Photo credit: Brian VanSpeybroeck

As the communications director for the Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) one of my greatest joys is joining in the sisters' focus on care of Earth. The latest issue of the CHM newsletter "theFlame" centers on this topic and includes the following letter from the CHM President:

Dear Friends,

What better time than now to reflect on dear Mother Earth? The encyclical letter "Laudato Si’ On Care for our Common Home," written by Pope Francis, offers much to study and discuss, but
more than anything, it is a call to action.

It seems that in our culture many believe humans are the center of creation, separate from all the rest. This prevents us from recognizing our role as part of creation and keeps us from seeing how we damage ourselves and Earth by actions not in harmony with nature.

Our CHM mission statement includes the sentence, “We commit ourselves as individuals and as a congregation to work for justice within the human family and to care for Earth itself.” The two resources mentioned here provide a broad foundation for deepening that commitment and taking a more realistic look at what each of us can do.

Brian Thomas Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker wrote in their book, "Journey of the Universe:" “Wonder is not just another emotion; it is rather an opening into the heart of the universe. Wonder is the pathway into what it means to be human…Our human destiny is to become the heart of the universe that embraces the whole of the Earth community.”

This issue of "theFlame" gives further food for thought as we continue caring for Earth. We thank all of you who join us in this urgent and compelling mission.

Sister Johanna Rickl
CHM President


Welcome Pope Francis to the U.S.! - We are all in this together.

Pope Francis will be in the Washington D.C., New York and Philadelphia September 22 - 27, 2015