World Water Day: March 22, 2010
--Associate Jim Vogel
The theme for this year's World Water Day is: "Communicating Water Quality Challenges and Opportunities."
At a United Nations meeting early in the New Millennium of 2000, the following goal was identified: "provide safe drinking water and proper sanitation to every person on this earth." As a follow-up in 2005, the UN declared a "Decade of Water" with the slogan, "Water for Life 2005-2015," to attempt to bring this goal to reality.
Here at St. Francis Convent in Little Falls, Minn., we have a committee in place called "Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation" (JPIC). My wife Alice and I have been part of that committee since 2000. The issues of "Sister Water" were one of the topics the committee addressed. About the year 2005 a joint committee was formed, collaborating with the Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph, Minn. Early on in this joint endeavor, it was decided that "water" was of such importance that a subcommittee should be established to focus on water issues. Thus, the "Water Subcommittee" was formed, consisting of Sister Mariterese Woida, OSB; Sister Mary Zirbes, OSF; and me.
We have been faithfully involved with worldwide water issues through our study and research. Each year we have a special project to present on March 22, World Water Day. This year we are publishing a list of resources and information on Water Education Materials, Ideas for Water Awareness, Water Conservation Ideas and Water Projects for citizens, students and groups. We hope by means of this publication that we can get much of the awareness and knowledge we've discovered into the hands of interested people, further fostering the care of "Sister Water."
I personally feel blessed for having the opportunity to participate on the JPIC Joint Committee and especially for working so closely on a regular basis with such holy, knowledgeable, experienced and caring sisters on our little Water Subcommittee.
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The theme for this year's World Water Day is: "Communicating Water Quality Challenges and Opportunities."
At a United Nations meeting early in the New Millennium of 2000, the following goal was identified: "provide safe drinking water and proper sanitation to every person on this earth." As a follow-up in 2005, the UN declared a "Decade of Water" with the slogan, "Water for Life 2005-2015," to attempt to bring this goal to reality.
Here at St. Francis Convent in Little Falls, Minn., we have a committee in place called "Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation" (JPIC). My wife Alice and I have been part of that committee since 2000. The issues of "Sister Water" were one of the topics the committee addressed. About the year 2005 a joint committee was formed, collaborating with the Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph, Minn. Early on in this joint endeavor, it was decided that "water" was of such importance that a subcommittee should be established to focus on water issues. Thus, the "Water Subcommittee" was formed, consisting of Sister Mariterese Woida, OSB; Sister Mary Zirbes, OSF; and me.
We have been faithfully involved with worldwide water issues through our study and research. Each year we have a special project to present on March 22, World Water Day. This year we are publishing a list of resources and information on Water Education Materials, Ideas for Water Awareness, Water Conservation Ideas and Water Projects for citizens, students and groups. We hope by means of this publication that we can get much of the awareness and knowledge we've discovered into the hands of interested people, further fostering the care of "Sister Water."
I personally feel blessed for having the opportunity to participate on the JPIC Joint Committee and especially for working so closely on a regular basis with such holy, knowledgeable, experienced and caring sisters on our little Water Subcommittee.
.
The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, is a community of Roman Catholic women religious who follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. We welcome those who wish to join us as sister, associate, volunteer, transfer sister, friend and donor. We live lives of prayer in community and in service to the poor as we seek to build a more peaceful world and to care for the Earth. We sponsor the St. Francis Music Center and St. Francis Health & Recreation Center, both open to the public.