Guantanamo Bay Detention Center has sadly emerged as our national symbol of torture. Although President Obama has declared his desire to close the center, opposition from Congress has thwarted him. The National Religious Coalition Against Torture has also identified the overuse of solitary confinement within our jails and prisons as an example of torture.
Larry and Birdella Stevenson of Chebanse, IL (near Kankakee) currently have placed fifty-six acres of their small farm in the "Pollinator Habitat Initiative," a part of the National Resource Conservation Service. This commitment is for ten years. The initiative calls for them to plant nectar rich wild plants, prairie grasses, milkweeds, and wildflowers. The plants increase agricultural production, support honey bees and birds, provide habitat for ground living birds and mammals, and back the migratory zone of monarch butterflies. No fertilizers, insecticides, or pesticides are used in this process, preventing runoff in waterways and groundwater. The Stevensons are so pleased to be a part of this conservation program. Congratulations!
On May 31, about 20 CND Sisters and 6 Associates celebrated the 10 am Liturgy with our wonderful SSND community. We had two Jubilarians with us, Sr. Jeannette Bolduc, visiting from Central America, is 60 years a Sister, and Janet Curry is 25 years an Associate. The mass was followed by refreshments and a lovely lunch.
