On September 17, Father Jerome Vungh Za Langh, the superior of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) in Myanmar, led a day's activities to promote love for the environment in Pyin Oo Lwin.
Together with the Franciscan family, novices from the Franciscan Sisters of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (FSAG), novices from the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM), and Missionaries of La Salette Fathers (MS) priests participated in the program.
The Catholic Church celebrates the "Season of Creation" every year in September.
Beginning September 1, Christians worldwide observe the "Season of Creation" under the theme "Listen to the Voice of Creation."
Pope Francis encourages everyone to listen to the voice of creation, said Father Jerome.
According to the theme, everyone must try to protect the earth and preserve it.
The priest urged all to not end the earth because of human beings' misuse and carelessness and to listen to the voice of creation.
For this year's Season of Creation activity, Father Jerome said, "Most people do not pay attention to using plastics, so I shared the disadvantages of using plastics."
He explained that the careless waste of plastics leads to the destruction of the environment, especially the pollution of water and the blockage of drains, and soil.
Moreover, the chemicals of plastics in the water affect all.
Novice Cecilia Eugene (FSAG) told RVA News, "By seeing the words ‘Listen to the Voice of Creation’ at the entrance, I could reflect that all creations have their own voice. Then I decided to listen to those voices for the very first time in my life."
From the "one-day program," they were aware of the unexpected disadvantages of plastics, so they decided to reduce their use of plastics when they go shopping.
There are many ways to reuse plastic bags instead of throwing them away.
Novice Genevieve Khui Shing Htung (FMM) shared one of the ways they are practicing in their convent to reduce plastic usage.
She said, "We put clean plastic bags after making small ones into the water bottles so that we can reuse them."
"I can be a mentor for others if they see our care for the environment," she added.
The official name of OFM in Myanmar is St. Francis of Assisi Foundation of Myanmar, established in 2005 with the permission of Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon.
Since 2018, OFM Myanmar has been under the jurisdiction of the Holy Korean Martyrs Province of South Korea.
The two missions of OFM in Myanmar are to respond to the needs of the Church in Myanmar and to establish the Order in Myanmar with careful selection and formation of local candidates by following St. Francis of Assisi and his charisma. – Pinky Thiri Kyaw and Marcus Nyi Nyi Htun
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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