International Day of Nonviolence Oct. 2

Oct. 2 is an important day for everyone in our global village but especially for those of us committed to living the good news of peace, justice and reconciliation.

The public is invited to participate in the Sisters of Providence International Day of Nonviolence prayer service at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, at St. Joseph Chapel in Owens Hall, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN

The following was written by the Sisters of Providence:

Litany of Non-Violence
Providence God, aware of our own brokenness,
we ask the gift of courage to identify how and where
we are in need of conversion in order to live in
solidarity with Earth and all creation.

Deliver us from the violence of superiority and disdain.
Grant us the desire, and the humility,
to listen with special care to those whose experiences
and attitudes are different from our own.

Deliver us from the violence of greed and privilege.
Grant us the desire, and the will, to live simply
so others may have their just share of Earth's resources.

Deliver us from the silence that gives
consent to abuse, war and evil.
Grant us the desire, and the courage, to risk
speaking and acting for the common good.

Deliver us from the violence of irreverence,
exploitation and control.
Grant us the desire, and the strength, to act
responsibly within the cycle of creation.

God of love, mercy and justice,
acknowledging our complicity in those attitudes,
actions and words which perpetuate violence,
we beg the grace of a non-violent heart. Amen.


Oct. 2 is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who helped lead India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom around the world. On June 15, 2007 the International Day of Nonviolence was adopted by the 192 member States of the United Nations during their General Assembly. Mahatma Gandhi has become an icon for people all over the world who believe in nonviolence as a way of life and as the best way to overcome oppression.

Celebrate autumn!

Sisters of Providence, White Violet Center for Eco-Justice staff, volunteers and friends gathered in the Reflection Garden at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., to celebrate the Fall Equinox on Sept. 21.

Everyone blessed the four directions, sang, reflected on the past year and looked toward the future. It was beautiful. The sun was shining and the orange pumpkins and mums were glowing. The sounds of singing voices and the rain sticks echoed throughout the area.

Everyone participated in answering the following questions: If this is the time of harvest, then what have you harvested? What is your gift? What is the thing, the value, that you have brought to fruition?

Each person chose a random quote and read them aloud one by one going around the circle.

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus

Saturday event

This Saturday, Sept. 26, we are participating in Family Learning Day at the Vigo County Public Library main branch in Terre Haute. From 9 a.m. until noon Candace and I will have fun activities for children of all ages at our booth.

The alpacas will also make an appearance! They'll arrive around 9:30 a.m. and visit with everyone for about an hour. You might be surprised to know the alpacas travel in a van. They are a herd animal, so we never go anywhere with less than two or three at a time. Don't be afraid to ask Sister Maureen Freeman, CSJ, and Sister P.B. Bounk, CSJ, any questions about our alpacas.

This event is always well-attended and we look forward to seeing our friends AND making new ones. Thank-you to the library staff for putting on such a top-notch family event!

Ivy Tech volunteer fair

I attended the volunteer fair at Ivy Tech in Terre Haute this morning and met some great people. Emily's husband drives a diesel truck that runs on used cooking oil. She's interested in internship opportunities. Kenneth has experience in organic gardening and clearing trails in wooded areas. Vanessa is interested in arranging a family volunteer experience with us. Tyler's a freshman interested in environmental science, so he hopes to volunteer with us.

Several students I spoke with said they have opportunities to earn extra credit for a class by giving 10 hours of service this semester. The Human Services program chair and assoc. professor explained there are students who must fulfill a 12 hour service requirement and many of them were excited to learn about White Violet Center volunteer opportunities.

Our volunteer opportunities might include getting your hands dirty in the organically grown vegetable gardens and orchards; helping out at farmers markets at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and Terre Haute; assisting with keeping our Reflection Garden beautiful and welcoming to visitors; assisting with keeping our nature trail beautiful for groups who go on guided nature hikes; assisting with the daily care of our 68 alpacas; and helping to prepare the alpaca fiber for processing.

For more info or to arrange a tour to check us out (we're only 10 minutes west of the Terre Haute courthouse) contact Candace Minster, environmental education/volunteer coordinator, at 812-535-2935 or cminster@spsmw.org.

Terre Haute Downtown Farmers' Market Sept. 12

We'll be at the Terre Haute Downtown Farmers' Market tomorrow. With limited staff and volunteers we have been at the Saturday market as much as possible this year — at least once a month. And we LOVE IT when we can be there. It's such a great community event.

Tomorrow we'll have potatoes (russets and red), broccoli, tomatoes, apples (small, but very delicious!), pears, peppers, onions and more. We'll also be selling our homemade lip balm made with the help of our bees and other value-added products.

Hope to see you there!

National food conferences in June

A snippet from White Violet Center's copy of the Local Growers Guild newsletter:

"Bloomington and Indiana University will be hosting two national food conferences in June 2010. The Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) and Agriculture, Food, and Human Values (AFHV) will be holding a joint conference preceded directly by the National Cooperative Grocers' Association. These folks are excited about local food and are eager to learn all about our farms and food businesses of southern and central Indiana. They will be looking for food suppliers, farms willing to host tours, chefs willing to cool local food dinners, and farmers willing to talk. Look for more details this fall."

We'll definitely keep this on our radar! Looking forward to it.