JAMAICA ESTATES — Jefferson Garcia spent a recent morning watering flowers to help them grow, and found that it was helping his faith grow, as well.
“I like learning about how God wants us to take care of the earth. You’re supposed to water the plants and flowers. You’re not supposed to litter. And don’t waste food,” said Jefferson, one of 20 children who attended a two-week day camp, sponsored by Immaculate Conception Monastery, focused on environmentalism.
The day camp, called Care for Creation, was held from July 7 to 17. Counselors taught the children how to live out the principles outlined in Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato si, in which the late pontiff urged humanity to respect the earth.
Led by coordinator Isabella Tamayo, a parishioner of Immaculate Conception, the counselors offered lessons on the elements (fire, water, earth, and air) and taught the kids about plant life and sustainability.
The camp — aimed primarily at elementary and middle schoolers — also gave the kids the chance to practice what Pope Francis preached.
Each day, the kids watered the plants and flowers on the grounds of the church and by Thomas Berry Place, the retreat house located next door. It was a lot of work, as the property boasts an abundance of plant life as well as a vegetable garden.
“We’re not just hitting them with lessons. They get to see how they can put it into practice,” explained Tamayo, who attends D’Youville University in Buffalo.
Both the church and the retreat house are run by the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ (commonly known as the Passionists), a religious order of priests.
When the campers finished their gardening chores, they took time for prayer, gathering beneath a grove of trees to pray and contemplate the beauty of God’s creation. The lessons of Laudato si’ appeared to be taking hold.
“We really should be caretakers of the earth,” said camper Noemi Diaz. “If everybody does a little, we can get a lot done.”
Counselor Summer Knights noted that she was impressed by the children’s enthusiasm.
“During lessons, they’re able to recap the information. They enjoy learning it, and they’re very eager to volunteer. It’s really fun to see them so eager,” said Summer, a student at St. Francis Preparatory High School.
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The day camp, which has now completed its 2025 session, started two years ago at the urging of seminarians stationed at Immaculate Conception. The idea made a lot of sense to Father Jim Price, the church’s pastor.
“The idea was to focus on the word ‘care.’ [The children] would learn how to care for each other and creation,” he explained, “all based on Laudato si’, so they come away with some idea of what Pope Francis’ vision was.”
One of the things Pope Francis emphasized was the importance of connecting with the planet. That’s something that appealed to camper Adrian Baylon.
“I like how they teach us how to plant and how to take out the leaves from the soil,” he said. “I’m learning a lot that I didn’t know before, like how fast the plants grow.”
Father Victor Hoagland, who quietly picked berries in a garden as the children prayed, said the camp is the perfect entry point for children to learn about protecting the environment.
“This is the age where it has to start,” he added.
