Invited on 4 October 2024 to travel to Ile Blanche to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si, some 120 members of the DHS spiritual family arrive there.
A very warm welcome awaits us, thanks to the long and meticulous preparation of the day by the ‘Laudato Si’ Commission. To the sound of music and songs by Bruno GAUTHIER, composer of liturgical songs, and his team of musicians, the room was filled with joyful gratitude that reconnected us all…
With the 2025 visual for ‘Time for Creation’ (1er September – 4th October) –‘Garden of Peace’- and a patchwork made by a consecrated laywoman showing a very bright tree sheltering a multitude of colourful birds, a few animals and people, children and adults, each finding their place! Yes, ‘Everything is connected’!
The gathering began with introductions, skillfully conducted by Patrick Salaün, priest of the Mission de France, of the leaders of the ‘Spiritual Family’ -Sisters of the Holy Spirit, Consecrated Lay People and Associates-, the ‘Friends of the White Island’, the director of the house and the lay community coordinators. Yes, “Everything is connected! “
Then Ann Almodovar, Superior General of the Congregation, who came with her Council, outlined the objective of the day: she connected us to all the ‘Units’ of the Congregation who, under other skies, are celebrating Creation. ‘In this time of ecological, human and spiritual crisis, we are invited to look at creation with wonder, to enter into a fraternal relationship with all that exists, to renew our gratitude for the gift of life, to enter into the dynamic of sharing, to embark on a path of inner transformation by reviewing our desires and our consumption habits…’ What a wonderful programme!
And so begins a sharing of testimonies and reflections, coordinated by Patrick’s lively facilitation. Each contribution is punctuated by the fourfold chant Laudato Si’.
– Marie Thé, a Consecrated Laywoman and lover of the earth, the ‘cradle of living beings’, speaks simply about what is happening around her garden in a village of 150 inhabitants in Finistère: her generous harvest of vegetables and flowers encourages a neighborhood network, as does the restoration of the bread oven, a place where neighbors help each other… And Marie Thé, following in the footsteps of Pierre Rahbi, a farmer-philosopher and author of the famous book ‘Vers la sobriété heureuse’ (Towards Happy Sobriety), “leads us to marvel at the mysteries of life “ that arise in a thousand ways on our earth.
– The community of Trégueux has joined the ‘Green Church’ project of the Notre Dame de la Baie pastoral community, near St Brieuc. Jeanne shares this year’s reflection on water management. She continues with a presentation on the theme for Lent 2025: ‘Peace with creation’: reading ‘Laudato Si’ in a workshop led participants to marvel and question their attitude towards the deteriorating earth, their relationship with others and the cultivation of inner peace.
– These are our older sisters from the Mother House and Ker-Anna! In these houses, cognitive and sensory abilities are developed as much as possible in collaboration with the employees of the house and external groups – here, ‘le ciel bleu’ (the blue sky), there, the Children’s Leisure Centre. … This is how, after careful consideration, ecological projects adapted to the residents’ abilities are born. This is what Alexine, FSE, explains to us as she shows us photos of two small box gardens at the Mother House, filled with strawberry plants and aromatic herbs. Sophie, the coordinator, presents Ker-Anna’s autumn mural, created by the children with the encouragement of the older sisters, who carry out many other ecological activities.
– Then Anne-Marie, DHS, talks about the Ile Blanche experience: a story that began with a desire to maintain the property, a desire shared by ‘friends’. With the question: ‘Why not plant a vineyard on Ile Blanche?’ Analyses of the land and its exposure would favour it… Thus, in 2023, the GAEW association was born -a Breton acronym meaning ‘the wine of the Ile Blanche’ – which planted and maintained 750 vines, with its first ‘ taking place on 11 September 2025. This initiative has forged ‘very strong bonds of friendship between the members of the association and the whole community’: despite differences in beliefs, there is ‘the same respect for the land and kindness between people’. Yes, on the Ile Blanche, ‘Everything is connected!’
A dozen presentations followed these testimonies: Sisters or communities, Associates, consecrated lay people… In different ways, each one is striving to enter into the spirit of Laudato Si, ‘to make the cry of the earth and the poor their own’… to such an extent that Bernard, an Associate, has ‘the impression of being in paradise’ at this moment, on the White Island!
Then it was time for refreshments: a shared vegetarian meal, served with eco-friendly cutlery!
From 2pm onwards, we are busy working in various workshops. Marie-Thé leads the ‘terrarium’ workshop, where participants have the opportunity to become creators, and Florence, a partner, shares her expertise in embroidery… Others head to the ‘herb garden’ with its medicinal and culinary plants, the vegetable garden whose produce is shared with people in need, or the well-pruned vineyard, because ‘in autumn, it has to look good!’. These achievements are the result of the work of the GAEW association, highlighted in a video: the accompanying text is unique in that it connects us to the Indian people who, in times gone by, were robbed by white men of their sacred mother earth, their land beloved by God…
The day ends with the Eucharistic celebration presided over by our leader Patrick. As ‘pilgrims of hope’, we sing “our faith in the Spirit who sends us… to break down all barriers, to risk a path of justice and peace, to bear witness to a Church that reaches out”. The globe, our ‘Book of life’ and “Statutes”, a terrarium attached to the bread and wine, brought in the offertory procession, express our desire to connect everything in our lives. This is precisely what Ann Almodovar urges us to do in her powerful closing words: In her words, “ we have committed ourselves to ‘welcoming creation as a gift, respecting it as a brother or sister…, making our places of life places of ecological evangelization, becoming artisans of peace and hope… ever closer to the most vulnerable…”
May this day be a source of abundant fruits of fraternity, justice, and peace in our lives!
Armandine BAGOT, DHS. Published on 13 October 2025
