On five different occasions in the first chapter of Genesis, we read this line: “God saw that it was good”. Creation is radically good because it comes forth from the imagination of a God who is the source of all truth, beauty, and goodness. One of the great tasks of the spiritual life is to come to understand God’s goodness and our own as creatures made in God’s image and likeness. And this process does not stop with us but rather requires that we come to recognize the goodness of others, too. The missionary efforts of the Church spring from this essential conviction: that Jesus is the incarnation of God and that everyone deserves to be invited to hear the good news of the gospel and to respond to it in freedom, and that all of God’s children deserve to have the conditions that will allow them not only to survive but to thrive in life. This is why, from her inception, the Church has gone out to all the world to proclaim the gospel. This is why religious congregations of women and men were inspired to found Solidarity with South Sudan: to affirm the dignity of the South Sudanese people and to bring them hope and the help they need to attain the fullness of life that Christ came to bring for all. The Catholic Health Training Institute trains nurses and midwives to make a health and a greater quality of life available to the South Sudanese. To date, we have trained 351 nurses and midwives. Our work responds directly to the Laudato Sì goals for a response to the cry of the poor and for building community resilience and empowerment. |
Date Published:06 September 2023 Author:Fr. David Gentry
Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Solidarity, Season of Creation |