The environment took centre stage at the Sisters of St Louis Jubilee celebration in Monaghan Cathedral in April. Over 1,000 people thronged the cathedral to recall 150 years of service in Ireland. President Mary McAleese was in attendance. In the past 150 years an estimated 300,000 children have been educated by St Louis sisters at their schools in nine counties, north and south of the border.
Liturgy during the special mass, which was celebrated by the Bishop of Clogher Joseph Duffy, included references to Creation. A beautiful movement and chant was performed –
“One, one with the water
One, one with the fire
One, one with the earth
And one with the air we breathe.”
The entrance hymn was Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, which includes a Creation theme in the second verse. The Prayers of the Faithful also incorporated an ecological theme, including the following –
“We thank you, Creator God, for the gift of our awe-inspiring universe.
May we live simply and respectfully on this earth,
Mindful of the interdependence of all creation.
We pray, too, that world leaders may assume their sacred duty
Of working for justice, peace and the integrity of creation.
Lord, hear us,
Lord, graciously hear us.”
The Sisters of St Louis was founded near Paris by Abbé Louis Bautain in 1842. Bautain’s noble aspiration was to re-establish harmony between the three domains of knowledge – theology, philosophy and cosmology.