Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, Who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste. – Canticle of St. Francis
This year we will be guided by the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (47:1–12): a river flowing from the temple of God, which grows without stopping and brings life where everything seems barren.
Water heals, restores, and makes creation flourish. But it also challenges us: to recognize ecological damage, to embrace our interconnectedness, and to immerse ourselves in the responsibility of caring for and restoring our Common Home.
May this Season of Creation be a path for the healing of the Earth and human well-being to flourish together.
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September 1st Evening Prayer Service by S. Kathleen Murphy
We begin this Season of Creation with a prayer of thanks and a request for God’s help in making us good stewards of His Living Waters.
Recycling in Kalaupapa
Is it a Bird or a Plane? NO! It is a Helicopter!
By S. Alicia Damien Lau
As I watched the helicopter coming over the cliffs of Molokai, heading directly to the Kalaupapa peninsula, I wondered, where is it going?
With less than 100 people in Kalaupapa, one would not think we have a lot of trash accumulating in a week, month, or year. There are no roads to haul the garbage out, so we look at what we throw away; yes, we do a lot of recycling here. Compost is taken to an area not too far from the mountain slopes and eventually reused. Aluminum cans, bottles, tin cans, plastic containers, and anything on the recycle list gets recycled. Once a year, it is taken out on the barge along with old appliances, cars, etc.
The regular trash goes into large black plastic bags, which are sent to Honolulu weekly via Kamaka Air – our only air freight company.
But I was stunned last week when this helicopter flew over Kalaupapa, going from the mountains to the Papaloa Cemetery. I was at the beach, and being “Nīele” (curious), I followed the helicopter. It landed on the empty field across the grave site, picked up some white bags, and once again headed back up toward the mountain top toward topside Molokai.
So, I asked – “What are they carrying, where is it going, and what will they do with it?”
If you recall, I mentioned months ago that everyone was invited to a beach clean-up. Well, these are the bags from that clean-up, which contain plastic, bottles, fishing nets, toothbrushes, and anything else that people throw into the ocean. It eventually washes up on the shores of Kalaupapa. The trash was going to topside Molokai and would make its way to Honolulu.
In 2010, Kalaupapa’s landfill reached capacity and was closed. That’s when the National Park Service began the “Recycling and Compost Program.” In just two years, in 2012, they reduced the amount of trash by 82.74%, recycled 56,815 pounds of material, composted 45,055 pounds of food waste and properly disposed of 38,326 pounds of materials.
As we celebrate the Season of Creation, we need to look around and ask ourselves, how are we caring for Mother Earth, our aina?
Sister Pamela Conte writes a prayer asking God to help us be good stewards of His creation.
Precious Water
Let living water flow: Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the Care of Creation
Tomorrow, October 4th, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, we celebrate not only the life of St. Francis and his profound love for all creation, but also the conclusion of the 2026 Season of Creation. We hope this time has deepened your respect for the natural world and inspired you to come together in community as we recognize creation’s beauty and the hope that arises when we walk united for justice, peace, and care for our common home.
