Laudato Si’ can be put into practice in any mission of the Church. Fundación Padre Jaime, which accompanies seminarians on their way to the priesthood, is an example of this. “More than in the text, Laudato Si’ can be seen in flesh and life,” says its founder.
In dialogue with Rosemary León Buitrago, founder of Father Jaime Foundation, a member organization of the Laudato Si’ Movement, we talked about how this Colombian organization brings Laudato Si’ to life in the different activities it carries out.
WATCH: The complete dialogue with the Father Jaime Foundation.
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As its mission is to financially support priests and seminarians in their studies, fundraising campaigns are active all year round at the foundation. “For some time now, we have understood that we have to give an impactful message to the seminarians and the Green Pastoral starts with the small actions that even we do for them,” says Rosemary.
More than 176 kilos of plastic have already been collected by families and friends of the foundation, through plastic caps that they sell and can be converted into funds. “The children in the families understand that we do it to take care of nature, as a Christian responsibility, but also with a noble purpose and that is that we are helping young people who in a short time will be leaders for the communities”, mentions the founder.
“We want priests to be leaders of the Green Pastoral,” Rosemary says enthusiastically, mentioning that the laity are responsible for strengthening the formation in ecology of the clergy.
For her, the ecological actions are simple: “It is not necessary to talk a lot about the subject, the others are doing it, because they already know that this action inspires enthusiasm and has a message and an impact on others”.
Another Laudato Si’ activity of the foundation is a “Rosary for Creation,” which is held every year in May, on the eve of Laudato Si’ Week. “We pray for the vocation of seminarians and in particular for our common home.”
This year, it will take place this Saturday, May 14 at 4 p.m. Colombia time: “You are all invited to pray for this Laudato Si’ Week with joy, with enthusiasm, with a hopeful vision of the future and the present”.
Finally Rosemary gave a message to LSM members: “We need the members of Laudato Si’ to spread among seminarians and priests their responsibility in preaching by example on the management of the goods of nature in parishes, saving water and electricity, garbage; but we also encourage them to incorporate in their sermons a little bit of care for nature and Laudato Si’. In this way they will be leaders of the Green Pastoral, we need them”, he concluded.