Stewardship is a responsibility and gift that belongs to each of us. It is to not only preserve the wonders of our physical environment, but it is also to tend to ourselves and our communities.
At a time when the world feels full of misfortunes, it is difficult to feel buoyant, let alone remain charitable of spirit. Yet it remains that the care of ourselves, our neighbors, and our shared elements is the very thing that can offer us the greatest healing we are so desperately in search of.
We recognize nature and neighborliness as conduits for building emotional resilience and, in turn, improving our health and happiness. This month, we hope you seek out soil when you need grounding, water when you’re unmoored, and air when you need to breathe deeply. Cultivate intention with connection.
And as Wendell Berry offers in his infinite wisdom: “Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.”
The Ukraine Task Force is having an informal and heartfelt "Welcome Ukrainians to Louisville” get together at 4:00 PM this Sunday, July 17 at Hounz Lane Park. The purpose is to ensure the recently-arrived Ukrainian immigrants know they are warmly welcomed in Louisville. The gathering will allow the newcomers to meet Ukrainian-Americans, neighbors, community members, potential mentors and friends. All are encouraged to attend to show your support and love. The group will meet at 2300 Hounz Lane, Louisville, KY, 40223. Reach out to Natasha Reimer or Nancy Antle if you are interested in helping or just attending. ([email protected]; [email protected])
The Irish Rover has been selected as a grantee for the second round of the National Trust for Historic Preservation partnership with American Express, “Backing Historic Small Restaurants.” This initiative provides a collective $1 million in grants to 25 independent restaurants across the nation. The grantees reflect a wide range of geography, ethnic diversity, types of cuisine - while, most critically, preserving the stories of American foodways and cultures. You can read the full list here and the press release here.
Hosparus Health has opened a Resource Centerat the Republic Bank Foundation YMCA located at 1720 West Broadway. The center is designed to provide additional support for people of all ages with an emphasis on grief support, education, and fellowship. In light of West Louisville’s overwhelming demand for such resources and counseling, the Gheens Foundation, Brown-Forman Corp., Brown-Forman Foundation, Norton Healthcare, and many individual donors supported the center’s creation. For more information about these monumental services, click through here.
Dr. Bhatnagar’s highly anticipated podcast - Elements of Nature -is now available on Spotify and most major streaming platforms. Elements of Nature focuses on how nature shapes and influences health and wellness. Accomplished scientists, authors, and professors weigh-in with Dr. Bhatnagar to add insights on the critical relationship between individuals, communities, and the natural world.
Cardinal Cupich shared a powerful homilythe day after the Highland Park mass shooting in a healing mass offered for the grieving Chicago area. The archbishop, in an atypical breach of speaking on political affairs, continued to call for gun reform while recalling that in this calendar year alone there have been over 300 mass shootings. Cardinal Cupich remarked, “The right to bear arms does not eclipse the right to life, or the right of all Americans to go about their lives free of the fear that they might be shredded by bullets from weapons of war at any moment. Gun violence is a life issue and high powered weapons have no place on our streets.” You can also read the entire homily here.
Michael Sean Winters for the National Catholic Reporter celebrates Pope Francis’ most recent apostolic letter which “invites all Catholics to drink deeply from the wellspring of faith,” rather than growing mired in liturgical condemnation. For more on this call for inclusion, read the reporter’s Opinion Editorial.
If you are a part of the Jewish community and are seeking strategies to keep your community safe and police-free, join SURJ Faith for a three part series led by Jewish activists and safety experts. Whether interested in making your first congregational safety plan or learning skills to engage in community safety networks, meet fellow activists and learn hands-on techniques. The final training will be open to people of any faith who want to learn de-escalation skills to support their own congregations as well as support Jewish community safety teams. All trainings will be held on Sundays (Jul 31, Aug 21, Sept 11) from 5-6:30 EST over Zoom. Sliding scale donation ($0-$54).
Save the Date: Festival of Faiths — November 9-12. The nationally acclaimed Festival of Faiths is back for its 26th year! This year’s theme, Sacred Stories: Contemplation and Connection, will focus on the power of both ancient and modern narratives as they inform, influence, and inspire living intentionally in our complex world. To sign-up for email updates, click here.
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