Miao: The children in a small village in Arunachal Pradesh were taught to treat the animals and birds as brothers and sisters to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology on 4 October.
Following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who had a deep brotherly care for all creation, the students of Newman School Neotan in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, blessed the livestock of the school and were taught to treat them as siblings to foster love for the animals, birds and nature.
Speaking to the children on the occasion, Fr. Felix Anthony, the Principal of the school said most of the natural calamities we see these days, including the recent flood in Kerala, is the result of our lack of love for the nature and all in it. “Indiscriminate deforestation, selfishness and greed over the natural resources has caused ecological imbalance, leading to either too much or too little rain and many other natural calamities”, he said.
The feast of the patron saint of ecology is a wake-up call for all us to love, protect and promote the nature, animals and birds. “What you do with the natural resources today will shape the fate of your next generation”, he cautioned them.
The in-charges of the various livestock in the school campus brought rabbits, chicken, duck, goats, cat, pig and lovebirds for blessing. “It gives me a completely different perspective to call the rabbit ‘Brother Rabbit’. As children of the same God who created everything, we are all brothers and sisters including the animals and birds”, said David Ngaimong, the rabbit caretaker.
We hope that such celebration inspires many more students to love, promote and protect the brother Sun and sister water to safeguard the mother Earth.
By Leon Bent – Saint Francis of Assisi, informally named as Francesco (1181/1182), was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is…
By Fr. Felix Anthony - Deomali: Radiance, an inter-school annual sports and cultural event of Newman Educational Society (NES), the educational wing of Miao Diocese, came to a colourful conclusion at St. George School, Deomali on 17 October. Newman Educational Society, which has 46 schools under its care in the…
By Fr Glen Fernandes, OFM - The "Canticle of the Sun", also known as the "Canticle of the Creatures" or "Laudes Creaturarum" ("Praise of the Creatures"), is a religious song composed by Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis' turning to God unfolded and he was gripped by the fact of the…
By Leon Bent – Saint Francis of Assisi, informally named as Francesco (1181/1182), was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is…
By Fr. Felix Anthony - Deomali: Radiance, an inter-school annual sports and cultural event of Newman Educational Society (NES), the educational wing of Miao Diocese, came to a colourful conclusion at St. George School, Deomali on 17 October. Newman Educational Society, which has 46 schools under its care in the…
By Fr Glen Fernandes, OFM - The "Canticle of the Sun", also known as the "Canticle of the Creatures" or "Laudes Creaturarum" ("Praise of the Creatures"), is a religious song composed by Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis' turning to God unfolded and he was gripped by the fact of the…
Following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who had a deep brotherly care for all creation, the students of Newman School Neotan in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, blessed the livestock of the school and were taught to treat them as siblings to foster love for the animals, birds and nature.
Speaking to the children on the occasion, Fr. Felix Anthony, the Principal of the school said most of the natural calamities we see these days, including the recent flood in Kerala, is the result of our lack of love for the nature and all in it. “Indiscriminate deforestation, selfishness and greed over the natural resources has caused ecological imbalance, leading to either too much or too little rain and many other natural calamities”, he said.
The feast of the patron saint of ecology is a wake-up call for all us to love, protect and promote the nature, animals and birds. “What you do with the natural resources today will shape the fate of your next generation”, he cautioned them.
