On Saturday, Theresa and I went for a brisk walk with 70+ friends as part of the Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation for the Laudato Si Movement in Texas. Our good friends, the Carrizales, invited us to join them on this pilgrimage and we were blessed that we accepted their invitation. While many of our group rode the Capital Metro monorail (some as far as Leander) to Brush Square, we did our part by carpooling.
We got to Brush Square before our group and as we were waiting and chatting, we saw individuals from the Austin Bicycle Meals roll through the park passing out meals to the homeless present at the park. This is a similar concept to Mobile Loaves and Fishes and, as I learned from Karen (pictured below talking with one of the Austin Bicycle Meals folds), they go around during cold days of winter to pass out blankets to the homeless as well. This group is certainly living out God's Commandment to love our neighbor and adhering to Jesus' teaching on "The Judgment of Nations" in Matthew, Chapter 25.
When the rest of our group arrived to Brush Square, via the monorail, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many folks from my home parish of Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church. I was asked to lead us in prayer with this prayer:
Good & Gracious God, we acknowledge the sacredness of this land, where cotton was sold and traded. We remember that the soil brought forth life. We give thanks for the ancient earth that nurtured generations and provided for all living things.We also come with heavy hearts, remembering the legacy of injustice and pain woven into the history of how the cotton was grown. We lift up the souls of all who were forced to labor to grow the cotton, whose bodies and spirits were broken for a harvest that was not their own. May their memory be honored, and may their spirits find peace.Let us find healing here from the suffering this land has absorbed. Let the memory of exploitation be replaced by a new legacy of respect and reverence for all life.Inspire us to become good stewards of all land.Guide our hands to work with justice and our hearts to beat with compassion.May future harvests of cotton be symbols of reconciliation and new beginnings, rather than echoes of past harm.Let us all be grateful for the gifts of the earth and the beauty of creation, and commit to protecting its resources for all generations to come.May peace and justice surround us on this sacred ground. Amen.
As the prayer, we started our walk to the next location. As we walked past the homeless, my heart ached for them. I noticed immediately that they were next to a construction site so not only so they have to contend with pollution from vehicles but the dust and noise from the construction site.
We walked the 9 blocks or so, along Trinity, to Waterloo Park. I drive by this park every day on the way home from work but I have never walked through it until now. As we descended from the street leave to the park below, I noticed right away how much cooler it was with all the foliage. Here is why Waterloo Park a sign of hope:
Waller Creek runs through the park which has been “challenged by intense development. Herons perch on drain pipes . . . sunfish and goldfish swim in polluted runoff. Turtles poke up between Styrofoam cups, and saplings bend under sodden trash bags” but Waterloo Greenway is working on creek restoration and helping “connect all people to nature.” Waterloo was designed and built to provide “equitable access” to people with disabilities as well.
After we said our prayer, we continued our pilgrimage to the State Capitol. These excerpts from Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si', struck me as it relates to governance and the care of our "common home," particularly the one about courageous politicians. I pray that we have such politicians and leaders in our government - local, state, national, and international.
“Unless citizens control political power – national, regional and municipal – it will not be possible to control damage to the environment.” (LS 179)
“[P]olicies related to climate change and environmental protection cannot be altered with every change of government.” (LS 181)“If [politicians] are courageous, they will attest to their God-given dignity and leave behind a testimony of selfless responsibility.” (LS 181)“Social problems must be addressed by community networks and not simply by the sum of individual good deeds.” (LS 219)
While at the Capitol, we walked to the Texas African-American History Memorial. This is why the memorial is a sign of hope:
From slavery to freedom, struggle to triumph, the monument honors the many contributions of African Americans in Texas and depicts iconic events. “African-American Texans have contributed to the state’s culture, and have gained prominence in a host of fields. Despite the tremendous challenges posed by the institution of slavery, Jim Crow segregation and discrimination, African-Americans overcame and continue to overcome great obstacles to make a place for themselves in the Lone Star State, and are an essential part of Texas history, life and culture.”
As we said our prayer and spent some time in quiet reflection, I thought of all the homeless people we saw along the pilgrimage and how many of them were African-American. Their struggle is still ongoing even in 2025 and it is heart-breaking.
Finally, was we made our way through the sea of people attending the Texas Book Festival to Saint Mary Cathedral Bishops' Hall, it struck me how there exists two worlds in downtown Austin. As we gathered in Bishops' Hall, our leader reminded us of how blessed we are to be able to go home to homes with air conditioning and how many people cannot escape the Texas heat.
We ended at Saint Mary Cathedral where I had the blessed opportunity to serve at the Vigil Mass with Fr. Doug Jeffers. During Mass, I looked out at my fellow pilgrims in the pews and reflected how we prayed at the various stops and took time to reflect on how we can be better stewards of God's Creation. We enjoyed a late meal and shared graces from the Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation.
God certainly blessed us with a beautiful day to spend outside and enjoy the marvel of His Creation - our "common home."
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