Ron Gauthier recently retired from corporate life after roughly 50 years in the agribusiness field. Born and raised in Montreal, his career took him to the greater Toronto area in 1984. He graduated with a Bachelor in Agricultural Sciences and Diploma in Management from McGill University. Before the pandemic, he enrolled part-time in a Master of Theological Studies degree at Regis College, with focus on eco-theology and Ignatian spirituality.
As a Master of Theological Studies student at Regis College focusing on eco-theology through the Elliott Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology, it is with great gratitude and in awe that I write about the course I recently attended. I spent eight days at the beautiful Villa St. Joseph Ecology and Spirituality Centre in Cobourg, right on the shores of Lake Ontario, enrolled in the Eco-Theology Faith and Praxis course. The location was within walking distance of the neighboring boardwalk, leading to the downtown ecological garden and the marina.
The course was offered by Sister Mary Rowell, CSJ and Sister Linda Gregg, CSJ. Both have extensive retreat and eco-theology studies and teaching experience. The weather cooperated to make this beautiful setting one of learning, engagement, reflection and prayers. The course was very special at many levels, beginning with the generous hospitality of the Sisters (with the help of Sister Teresa, Neddie and Anna in the kitchen). We certainly didn’t starve with the three great meals a day we had on the outside balcony, in nature.
The days started and ended outside with much special time for prayer, reflection, sharing and music. Tuesday was “retreat day” when everyone reflected in silence, in nature, during the whole day until dinner time. You could feel immersed in a divine milieu.
Class presentations were full of up-to-date eco-theology knowledge and wisdom, with opportunity for reflection and discussions. Each day we had roughly one hour of teaching on organic gardening with work in the gardens under the direction of Sister Linda and Lucas, the gardener. It was a real pleasure to work with them.
One morning we had a class on honey-making, which included hands-on work, and the next day work with beehives. The week also included a practical project on bioregionalism, which we presented outside on Thursday evening.
On Friday we travelled to Presqu’ile Provincial Park to visit and walk on the boardwalk through the marsh lands and witness its beauty and importance for the ecological health of the region.
And let’s not forget NimNim, the warm loving dog present at many of our outside gatherings.
For those interested in a practical course and a retreat on eco-theology– the environment and in nature– this is a must-take course.! This is not a course open only to people of the Catholic faith or soley from the Regis St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology. It’s offered to all denominations and faiths and from all theological colleges at the Toronto School of Theology. Anyone will be able to connect with the course and have a fantastic experience in nature.
There were only five of us from different denominations and backgrounds enrolled. It was a good mix. It made the course an intimate one and an opportunity to engage in rich conversations. The companionship was excellent but there was room for even more people as the course can accommodate a dozen people.
These comments on the course reflect my feelings, although my colleagues shared the same views. I am approaching the end of my MTS studies and have taken all the in-class eco-theology courses. This was a nice way to wrap it up.
Eco- spirituality is for everyone. We live very anxious times. Every day in the news we witness ecological destruction in the world and the impact on local populations. It is a time to increase our awareness, a time for conversion in our mind, our heart and in our soul.
Before his encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, Pope Francis cited the passage from Paul’s Letter to the Romans: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in travail until now; and not only the creation, but we too who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan … we groan inwardly.”
For Pope Francis’s September 2024 prayer intention, he prayed that “each of us might listen with our hearts to the cry of the earth and of the victims of environmental disasters and climate change, making a personal commitment to care for the world we inhabit.” Confirming what he described as integral ecology, he said, “The cry of the earth is also the cry of the poor.”
I encourage you to take this course the next time it is offered and to be very much immersed in eco-spirituality in nature.
Have a great summer. Enjoy whatever is left of it.
Read other InsightOut posts.