 Anthony Mullin is the founding executive director of the Thomas Berry Place, a non-profit center for spirituality, community empowerment, and ecological stewardship, in New York City. In this conversation with Kyle Kramer, Director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center, Anthony reflects on the vision and values that guide the work of what he describes as a spiritual startup. Image: With permission from Br. Mickey McGrath OSFS
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 I first encountered Thomas when I joined the Passionist community as a postulant, at a very impressionable age. He was controversial; he seemed unusually smart. It was quite captivating, for a young postulant.
Why Thomas Berry Matters Today:
Mary Evelyn Tucker Reflects on Her Latest Book, Thomas Berry: A Biography Read the article from Orion here. Journey of the Universe Podcasts: “Healing and Revision” and “Sustainable Energy” This month the Journey of the Universe Project features two podcasts: “Healing and Revision” with Belvie Rooks and “Sustainable Energy” with Paula Gonzalez. These podcasts explore how we can heal our past and empower our future through a broader sense of self, place, and participation in the story of the Universe. Learn more by visiting the Journey of the Universe website. You can sign up for the Journey newsletter here.  Passionist Fr. Thomas Berry, the cultural historian and early prophet of the current environmental crisis, encouraged artists and musicians throughout his lifetime (1914-2009) to tell the magnificent 13.8 billion-year history of the universe through music, poetry and dance.
Berry wrote that we are direct ancestors of the stars and we humans collectively share a role as compassionate beings, to protect and to heal the earth. Creative artists, he argued, can bring us to this point of conversion quickest of all. One person who has heard this message clearly is Sam Guarnaccia, a composer, classical guitarist and environmentalist who debuted a major musical ritual based on an intimate look into the universe, in Cleveland on June 30. "Emergent Universe Oratorio," tells the story of the universe from the Big Bang to present day. Read more about it here.  Resources provided as preparation for the June 14-16 annual province assembly of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center in Detroit, Michigan. The provincial and council set the agenda, asking the group to reflect on Laudato Si’, the encyclical by Pope Francis, and its implication for our personal and communal lives. The Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province met from June 14-16, 2016 for their annual province assembly in Detroit at the St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center. The provincial and council set the agenda, asking the group to reflect on Laudato Si’, the recent encyclical by Pope Francis, and its implication for our personal and communal lives. Over 100 participants were fortunate to have engaged two of the most prominent people in the field of religion and ecology to facilitate our meeting. Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grimm are both senior lecturers at Yale University as well as the Divinity School, co-directors of the forum on religion and ecology, leading experts in the role of faith-based organizations in global efforts to care for the Earth, and students of Thomas Berry when they did graduate studies with him at Fordham University. Mary Evelyn served on the International Earth Charter Drafting Committee from 1997-2000 and was a member of the Earth Charter International Council until 2012. John is President of the American Teilhard Association. Mary Evelyn and John brought a breadth of knowledge and experience and helped us engage the message of Laudato Si’. In the weeks before the assembly, participants were asked to prepare with some readings and videos to form a good basis for the meaningful conversations we had about some of the major issues facing our human family at this time. The “assignments” were divided in four parts, and questions: [Click on the question titles to read a PDF version]
We offer these background materials for everyone who might want to further engage these issues in their own small groups or communities. The links will open PDF files with additional links to take you directly to the resources.
Also see Fr. Joe Mitchell's article on Earth Day 2016 |
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