DA LAT (UCAN): “This is a matter of justice, not charity. Nature has its rights and when it is exploited heavily, it shrieks but does not cry,” Bishop Dominic Nguyen Van Manh of Da Lat, Lam Dong province, Vietnam, said during an open-air Mass on September 1, in anticipation of the feast day of St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata [September 5].
It was concelebrated by 22 priests inside the compound of the Pastoral Centre on a local hill with around 1,000 Caritas workers from parishes in the diocese in attendance.
Bishop Nguyen said that the Season of Creation is a special time for all Christians to come together in prayer and commit themselves to look after the Earth, and to care for the environment that is suffering from disasters caused by people’s lifestyles of extreme consumption and collective selfishness.
Father John Bosco Hoang Van Chinh, director of Caritas in Da Lat, explained that they celebrated the feast to mark the Season of Creation which begins with the World Day of Prayer for the care of Creation and concludes on October 4 with the feast of St. Francis.
Father Hoang said the celebration aimed to encourage and lift the spirits of local Caritas workers, whose activities are being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noting that Mother Teresa brought love and care to people abandoned by society, Bishop Nguyen called on everyone to share their love with the poor and even Mother Nature. He appealed to the faithful to avoid single-use plastic and paper products, save water and power, and reuse instead of throwing things away.
He said Christian spirituality teaches people to live a moderate and simple life, be happy with small things, and to welcome every moment as God’s gift and live it to the fullest.
One Caritas worker expressed delight at attending the outdoor Mass and feeling close to nature.
“You can love and respect nature only when you touch it yourself,” said one farmer, who cultivates coffee and white mulberries in the Lam Ha district.
Before the Mass, participants listened to talks on Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’, and the environmental protection activities of local Caritas workers. They also watched cultural performances concerning St. Mother Teresa’s life and work.
This is only the second time that Caritas in Da Lat has held an open-air Mass. The first was organized in May to mark Laudato Si’ Week, the seventh anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on care for creation.
