God Kelps Those...

 There are lots of not-so-nice stories about Roman Catholic nuns, many of them deserved. In movies they are often portrayed as nasty, humourless, and even worse, although there is a wise, cool nun in Lady Bird, if you recall. 

There are also plenty of wise, playful, and forward-thinking Roman Catholic sisters and I've met plenty of them through the years. In Canada we've heard alot about the abuses of Indigenous children by nuns in Residential Schools so I was intrigued by a story of intentional reconciliation, a collaboration between the women of the Shinnecock tribe of Long Island, New York -- yes, that Long Island -- and a nearby convent of the Catholic Sisters of St Joseph in establishing a kelp farm in the nitrogen-polluted waters of Shinnecock Bay. 

The sisters are on a sprawling 200-acre retreat center on the bay’s west side, and the Shinnecock on a 900-acre peninsula to the east. Because of pollution and rising sea levels the tribe is pondering whether it will need to relocate but in the meantime the women have started the kelp collective to mitigate pollutants in the water and to reestablish a traditional maritime harvest.

There is a piece in The Guardian with the great title Saved by seaweed: nuns and Native women heal polluted New York waters using kelp and here is an excerpt:

 The sisters offered a cottage at their retreat center to serve as a hatchery. When the question of finances came up, Sister Joan was clear: anything profits made from the kelp farm belonged to the Shinnecock. “We’re here to support you and to affirm you,” she said. 

Within a couple of months, the cottage was transformed with fish tanks and warming lights. In 2021, the Shinnecock Kelp Farm was launched, and to date, 20 lines of kelp have been planted in the bay. The sisters help check the kelp lines or watching Troge’s one-year-old son when she visits. During the pandemic, they offered a “kind words program”, where sisters sang and recited poetry to the seedlings; now, they’re making it a regular practice.

How charming is this, Roman Catholic sisters singing lullabies to baby kelp? 

Over the past couple of decades I've heard of different Roman Catholic convents and orders engaging in environmental practices and activism. There are nun scholars who've written thoughtful theological reflection on the environment as well. This particular collaboration is particularly meaningful from my perspective. 

May the Creator be active in helping both the kelp farm and the relationships to flourish. Sorry about the kelp pun, or maybe not sorry...