Topic archive
Earth
As Friends of Mary at the Foot of the Cross, we are called to care for Earth in its pain, to celebrate its beauty, and to create space for its healing. Recognizing our role as one of interdependent partnership with all Creation has been part of Loretto’s mission throughout our history. We reaffirmed our commitment to resist systems and conditions that violate Earth and all species in 2018, calling ourselves to “significantly mitigate our impact on climate change and ecological degradation.” We invite any who are interested to join with us on this journey of ecological conversion. Learn more about our mission to protect Earth.
Unseen Costs of Looking Nice
I start with a confession: I am the opposite of a clothes horse. I once thought of joining the military just so I would not have to think about what to wear. I hate shopping. But my work required me to…
Sisters of Loretto permanently preserve 650 acres of ‘holy land’ in Kentucky
Published by Earthbeat on January 26, 2023 The region in central Kentucky where the Sisters of Loretto have resided for 200 years is often described as “holy land.” Now, more than 650 acres of that land surrounding their motherhouse will…
Sisters of Loretto sign historic conservation agreement
Published by The Record on January 20, 2023 The Sisters of Loretto in Nerinx, Ky., signed an agreement Jan. 18 with the Bluegrass Land Conservancy that will conserve more than 650 acres of the congregation’s property. The land, known as…
A 2-century-old Catholic convent is fighting for conservation in Ky.
Published by Louisville Public Media on January 19, 2023 For a 2-century-old Catholic convent outside Loretto, Ky., conservation is an act of faith. In a state where prosperity was forged in coal furnaces, the Sisters of Loretto have divested from…
Sisters of Loretto permanently protect 650 acres in Marion County, Ky.
NERINX, KY – The Sisters of Loretto today, Jan. 18, signed an historic agreement with the Bluegrass Land Conservancy to conserve more than 650 acres of the congregation’s nearly 800-acre Loretto Motherhouse property in Nerinx, Ky., through a donated conservation…
New Name, Same Game: The Loretto Carbon Reduction Fund
Written by the Loretto Carbon Reduction Fund Committee: Beth Blissman, Susan Classen, Becky Coakley, Roberta Hudlow, Jessie Rathburn, Michele Stimac The Tree Fund was first established in 2019 in honor of Anthony Mary Sartorius, then renamed the Loretto Carbon Offset…
“The Letter” documentary – Screening and Discussion
Please join us for a Communitywide screening and discussion of “The Letter,” a new documentary from the Laudato Si’ Movement on the personal invitation Pope Francis issued to each of us in Laudato Si’. The film follows a young climate…
The Sisters of Loretto Share a Kinship With the Earth
An anthropologist looks to a religious community of women in rural Kentucky for scientifically informed lessons in land stewardship. Could they be a model for activists and policymakers to move beyond partisan approaches to climate change? Published by Sapiens Anthropology…
Sing Alleluia to Our God!: Loretto Natural Burial Practices
Gain souls, draw souls, court souls, shelter souls. I Am the Way, the Constitutions of the Sisters of Loretto,p. 2 What is a green, or natural, burial? A green or “natural” burial conserves natural resources, preserves the environment and honors…
Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project Held a Solar Picnic – 10/28/2022
The Loretto Carbon Reduction Fund is excited to highlight a recent grant recipient: the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project (SVBHP). On Friday, October 28, supporters of the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project held a “Solar Picnic.” Participants watched as solar…
UN Climate Talks (COP27) – Virtual Delegation with Loretto at the UN
The UN Climate Talks (COP27) are coming up soon (6 to 18 November 2022), as governments convene in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. You can follow the conference virtually with the Loretto / BVM delegation. Just fill out this quick 5-question form…
The church forbids ‘human composting’ at death. But what about ‘green’ burials?
Published by America Magazine Oct. 13, 2022. “So is there a way for Catholics to honor the sacredness of the body in a conservation burial that also honors the sacredness of the land? The answer lies in a 200-plus-year-old community…