April 12-19, 2021: Our Lady of the Angels Province JPIC (Justice, Peace & the Integrity of Creation) Commission Chairman, Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. visited the North American Novitiate, to speak about social justice, his experience in his JPIC Ministries in Shamokin, PA and the 2019 JPIC Summer Experience he had with five student friars in Shamokin, Lexington, Colombia, and El Salvador. The 2020-2021 Class of Novices were grateful for the quality time they spent with Friar Michael.
Beds of spinach and kale that were planted in late October or even early November spent the winter as tiny plants quietly waiting for warmer temperatures and longer days.
In conjunction with the efforts of the Maryland Catholic Conference, Little Portion Farm’s Outreach Coordinator & JPIC Assistant Director ~ Farmer Matt Jones, and student friar ~ br. Cristofer M. Fernández, OFM Conv. lead us in today’s prayer for elected officials, on location at our province’s Little Portion Farm on the grounds of The Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD).
Little Portion Farm uses sustainable methods that respect and care for the land. The produce harvested from the farm is donated to help people in need in Baltimore. For more information on Catholic Advocacy Day (February 16, 2021) visit the Advocacy Day Virtual Site.
The harvest continues! Interestingly, we have harvested more food (by weight) this month than we did in November. As a result, we have officially surpassed 20,000 pounds of food harvested this year! We were put over the top last week after harvesting 861 pounds of carrots from two 100-foot beds.
Our pastoral ministry at Assumption Church (Syracuse, NY) has just completed another JPIC initiative with the installation of “rain gardens” on the front lawn of the St. Francis Friary. This project, funded by the “Save the Rain” grant of Onondaga County, captures the rain from the church roof into basins that slow the flow into our lakes and rivers. The basins are filled with soil and have an entire garden of plants that are planted under the mulch which will grow in the Spring to enhance the property.
A Food Oasis Grows from the Alliance of Two Franciscan Organizations, by Candace Blase, a volunteer at the Little Portion Farm. What follows is the story of two Franciscan organizations who, together, are growing food and community by “bringing faith-infused farm-to-table dining to those in need” in Baltimore.
The farm has been firing on all cylinders lately! In the past month we have planted fall or winter crops in 25 beds, with still more to come over the next few weeks. These new beds include carrots, arugula, Brussels sprouts, onions, leeks, and lettuce, among others.
