Nairobi, 01 October, 2025 / 9:07 PM
The Provincial Superior of the Pious Society of the Daughters of St. Paul (FSP/Pauline Sisters) in East Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (EAMZZ) has called for a renewed commitment in caring for creation amid climate change and the effects it has on vulnerable communities.
In her closing remarks during the FSP’s Action for the 2025 Season of Creation on Wednesday, October 1, Sr. Rosemary Mueni Mwaiwa urged the people of God to always open their hearts to the “beauty and fragility of creation.”
“Let us always remember that the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are interconnected,” Sr. Rosemary said in a statement that the Nairobi FSP local superior, Sr. Mary Kioko, read out.
Reflecting on Genesis, Sr. Rosemary reminded the participants in the one-day event held at the Pauline Sisters’ premises in Westlands in the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN), that God created the universe as “wonderful, good, beautiful, and appealing.”
“To preserve that goodness, He (God) created man and woman and gave them the responsibility to preserve that beauty,” said the Provincial Superior.
She emphasized that caring for creation does not always require monumental actions, and noted, “Small acts of love protect the environment, and the responsibility can create ripples of hope and transformation.”
“We must know that we possess the power to either heal or harm our planet,” the Pauline Provincial Superior said, stressing the need for a renewed commitment to protecting the environment, living a simple life and acting justly.
Each year, the people of God unite in the Season of Creation, a global celebration of prayer and action to protect the Creation that runs from September 1 to October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
In her October 1 remarks at the FSP event in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, that was realized under the theme “peace with creation,” Sr. Rosemary invited participants to embrace an “ecological conversion” rooted in love, humility, and reverence for creation.
“The future of our planet depends on our collective action,” she said, and expressed the hope that the day’s activities, which included Holy Mass, a panel discussion on care for creation, and tree planting, would be a source of inspiration.
She said, “May what we have shared today inspire us to listen more attentively to the voice of creation, to recognize the sacredness in every element of nature, and to work together in harmony and solidarity.”
“Let us embrace the call to conversion in how we relate to the earth and to one another. This transformation is necessary for creating a world where the dignity of every person is respected and the health of our planet is preserved for future generations,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Directress of Paulines Publications Africa (PPA) has expressed joy that the Pauline Sisters are already integrating environmental responsibility through publications and small but meaningful ecological actions.
“I am happy because some of the things that have been mentioned, the Daughters of St. Paul and Paulines Publications Africa, have been at the forefront of—especially through our publications and the small actions we are taking in our gardens, in our houses, and in other ways,” said Sr. Praxides Nafula.
In her remarks during the Season of Creation event, Sr. Nafula reflected on Pope Benedict XVI’s teaching on “ecological justice” in his June 2009 Encyclical Letter on Integral Human Development In Charity and Truth, Caritas in Veritate.
In the document, Sr. Nafula noted, the 265th Pontiff “speaks strongly about ecological justice, reminding us that when there is no human justice, there can be no environmental or ecological justice.”
The Kenyan FSP member said Pope Benedict’s teaching serves to remind us that a disregard for human dignity is a disregard for the environment.
“If we are divided and fail to respect human life, that same attitude will carry on to how we treat creation,” Sr. Nafula said. She urged the people of God to embrace ecological justice as a way to restore peace in God’s creation.
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