We, the Dominican Sisters of the Alliance, pro claim that the gifts
of Earth entrusted to
our various congregations are indeed sacred because:
- the Judeo-Christian tradition informs us that God created the
human family to be part of the sacred web of life,
- the land is the primary sustainer of all life,
- therefore, Earth and all her parts, are sacred.
Principle 2
We proclaim that as we hold these lands in trust and we care
for them, we begin a healing process to bring about integration
and right relationship with God and Creation because:
- “a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when
it tends otherwise...” Aldo Leopold
as members of the human family, we are related to the
larger biotic family inhabiting Earth, and to the larger
systems of the universe,
- therefore, we seek ways to raise awareness of the importance
of sustainable
living on our lands.
Principle 3
We acknowledge that our lifestyle as vowed religious, and as members
of the Dominican Order, leads us to consider how we affect the broader
community because:
- Earth’s resources are limited,
- there is unequal distribution of resources and wealth,
- therefore, we seek ways to live our lives more simply and
to model a more
sustainable lifestyle for the larger community.
|
|
Biotic community of or relating to life, esp. caused or produced
by living beings - diversity
Bioregion a major world area that supports a characteristic fauna;
an area character ized by the prevalence of one or more living organisms
specific to the place
Cosmos an orderly, harmonious, systematic uni verse
Ecology the
study of(eco — household) habitat or environment
New Cosmology theory or doctrine describing the
natural order of the universe See the works of Thomas Berry, Brian
Swimme, Cletus Wessels, OP, Sharon Zayac, OP, Carol Coston, OP
- The Universe Story — Thomas
Berry
- The Universe is a Green Dragon, and
The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos
by Brian Swimme
- The Holy Web: Church and the New Universe Story by
Cletus Wessels, OP
- Earth Spirituality by Sharon Therese
Zayac, OP
- Pennaculture by Carol
Coston, OP
Sustainability method of harvesting or using a resource so that
the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged
Terms have been defined according to:
The Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
Tenth Edition C. 1993 |
