In Limburg, we did not launch a special campaign on Environment Day, but we are trying to make conscious decisions in more and more areas with regard to the preservation of creation and social justice.
When two new houses were built on our property with the expansion of our retirement home Haus Felizitas and our provincial house, much of the old, beautiful garden was lost.
But sometimes new doors open in the midst of grief. We were planning to plant new fruit trees on a piece of meadow and it was precisely at this time that we got in touch with the tenant of one of our plots. The sisters used to have a large orchard with wonderful trees in Hadamar, a neighbouring town of Limburg – apples, pears, plums and even peaches could be found. Sister Arnoldine Michels had planted this piece of garden with great expertise and good planning and the sisters still speak about how they were driven to Hadamar on a cart when the apple harvest was due.
The current tenant couple gave us the old tree varieties and we were able to obtain trees from a nursery for our Limburg garden. Two trees are even direct offshoots of our old trees from Hadamar.
So we have come full circle – necessity has become nature, which is based on our history.
In our garden, we have taken care to grow plants that attract insects and our insect hotel offers a variety of shelters. We grow vegetables and lettuce in raised beds, tomatoes grow in tubs and we often visit the raspberries in the hope of a rich berry harvest.
When it comes to food, we have made a conscious decision to buy less meat and sausage, but from farmers who keep the animals in a species-appropriate manner and slaughter and butcher them themselves. The eggs also come from hens that live the way God intended them to. We plan with our kitchen staff so that there are as few leftovers as possible and we are amazed at how creative our kitchen is when something yet remains.
Avoiding plastic is our next big topic, which we are focusing on and want to keep perfecting. We also pay attention to our water consumption – thankful that we always have drinking water available here.
As many tasks can no longer be carried out by sisters, we have a number of employees and it is very important to us that they are paid a good wage and have good pension and sickness cover. We maintain a trusting relationship and couldn’t have better staff.
These are a few impressions from Germany – Environment Day was celebrated in Brazil and Sr. Iêda Maria Siqueira da Silva reports on this:
On 5 June 2025, an early morning mass was celebrated at the parish of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in Timbiras-Maranhão, Brazil, to mark World Environment Day. The faithful gathered on the banks of the Itapecurú River. It was an impressive setting for all the participants. Praise and thanksgiving for the beauty of creation were combined with sadness and the realisation that we are called to take more responsibility for preserving nature.
The river that passes through Timbiras is severely affected by pollution and deforestation along its banks. Despite its terrible condition, 90 per cent of the population depends on the river’s water.
On the second Friday of every month, Father José Wasensteiner and a group of parishioners, including many young people and children, climb a hill near Timbiras, Morro do Capitão, to celebrate Holy Mass at sunrise. These are special moments to experience community and give thanks for the beauty of creation. After the celebration of the Holy Eucharist we have a delicious community coffee where everyone brings some food to share.
Text: Sr. Astrid Meinert, SAC and Sr. Iêda Maria Siqueira da Silva
Photos: Sr. Astrid Meinert, SAC (Germany), and Missionary Pallottine Sisters in Brazil
See also the event gallery.
