Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ lives through ‘Laudato Si’ to care for different ecologies

In 2015, Pope Francis invited all people to care for their common home and one another. Through an encyclical called “Laudato Si’,” everyone is called to reflect and act on an ecological and social crisis.

Laudato Si’ translates directly from the 13th-century Central Italian dialect as “Praise be to you.” The phrase originates from the opening line of St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Creatures” (also known as Canticle of the Sun).

Sister Linda Volk of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ views Laudato Si’ as an opportunity to call all walks of organisms to care for their physical surroundings and work together.

“Laudato Si’ is a lengthy letter to all of the world, not just the Catholic Church,” Sister Linda said. “Pope Francis brings together all the different ways that we are interdependent, especially with his phrase, ‘The cries of the earth, the cries of our planet, are also the cries of the very poor.’ We can take the word ‘poor’ in many ways – those who are disabled, physically poor, mentally poor, those who are poor in resources. They are the planet, the people, and even the non-human. This was written in a way to catch the attention of many, because all the different ecologies are brought together.”

Political, cultural, social, spiritual – there are many different types of ecologies that impact one another. Through Laudato Si’, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ is able to help bring people closer to understanding the make-up of their home. Between the planet and the relationships that inhabit it, the care for the environmental footprint is what Laudato Si’ is all about.

“We have been very careful about building and caring for the land that we live on and own in a way that says, ‘Let’s do the least harm we can do to nature.’ We took that very seriously,” Sister Linda said. “As time went on, and as we continued with Laudato Si’, it brought into it a larger framework for us. We began to see what’s at the root of the harms and dangers that visit our earth today. We put mankind at the center of everything.”

Sister Linda believes this philosophy has made people more comfortable, efficient, and capable of living better lives. However, this focus is unfulfilled as a solo job.

“We wanted to bring this forth into our ministries. Our coworkers, our employees – we wanted to help them recenter their vision along with us,” Sister Linda said. “We have been doing sessions with our coworkers on internal ecology, in which they gather in groups of about 15 or 20. We engage them in how they are living it already, and we’ve been doing that since 2022. Anytime we get new coworkers, we give them the same orientation.”

Building a community between coworkers and residents is the defining outcome of what Laudato Si’ can accomplish through togetherness. One instance that Sister Linda recalls is when a tornado came through the Center at Donaldson, leading coworkers to pray and bring forth a feeling of interdependence and interconnection with nature.

One benefit from the community building sessions and initiatives of Laudato Si’ is that it maximizes the opportunity to bring cultures together.

“We talk a lot about culture. It’s a big word, and it’s not just ethnic cultures. It’s about ‘What culture do you want to live in? What do you want to be in the culture of your workplace?’ We engage them in naming things that would change the culture here, and we’re always on that journey to make things better,” Sister Linda said.

Between 48 residents that live on campus, more than 100 coworkers, and the team of Sisters at the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, the impact of Laudato Si’ comes from multiple groups. Sister Linda also emphasizes the importance of teaching everyone the difference between equality and equity.

“Equity is a term people shy away from, because they think it means equality. Let’s say that everyone on the campus gets a standard bicycle. It’s a great gift, but a child is too small for it. We have some tall basketball players, who might be too big for it. We have disabled people who might need a specialized bike. That is why we’re talking to a whole gamut of different people, because people have a lot of goodwill. We can make life different by our small acts and understandings that grow with us, and sustainability is all about leaving this world having met our needs,” Sister Linda said.

You can get involved and participate with Laudato Si’ by visiting the action platform at laudatosiactionplatform.org. Check out how the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ have celebrated Laudato Si in the past here.

To learn more about the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, you can visit poorhandmaids.org.