Pope Leo XIV recently inaugurated Borgo Laudato Si’ at Castel Gandolfo, a new initiative dedicated to ecological conversion and sustainability. This new initiative builds on the Pope’s prior encyclical, Laudato Si’, and its recent follow-up, the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, both of which call for a renewed focus on ecological conversion. Calling it a “seed of hope,” the Pope emphasized that care for creation is a universal vocation. “We are creatures among creatures, entrusted with the responsibility to care for all that the Creator has made,” he stated. His message echoes the mission of Rosemont College, where students, faculty, and staff work together to live out this responsibility in meaningful and innovative ways.

Rosemont’s Mission in Action

Rosemont College affirms that care for the Earth is a core value of our mission. Through programs and partnerships rooted in our Catholic identity, we take seriously the call to ecological stewardship and environmental justice. The Catholic Climate Covenant Committee guides many of our initiatives, including the annual Climate Teach In, Indigenous Cultures of North America event, and May Day celebration. These efforts invite students into a lifelong commitment to sustainability and ethical leadership.

Our campus serves as a living classroom as designed by Mother Mary Lawrence, our mother gardener and landscape architect. Students contribute to a variety of sustainable collaborative initiatives including the restoration of the Verano Memorial Lecture Garden and the Marshall Garden Grotto. They also cultivate the Patrick Herman Memorial Vegetable Garden, where seeds were planted during our most recent Climate Teach In. These projects strengthen their connection to the land and to each other.

Dr. Glenn Siniscalchi, assistant professor of theology and religious studies, is also highlighting the importance of social justice as it relates to creation. This semester he is teaching a Theology & Creation course that addresses several topics in the science religion dialogue, but it also concentrates on the lessons from Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical, Laudato si (2015). Pope Francis was the first pope to specifically address the moral challenges related to global warming and its impact on poverty.

Innovation Through Education

Academic programs at Rosemont College integrate ecology with social justice, spirituality, and cultural heritage. Students engage with faculty who bring real world insight and interdisciplinary knowledge into the classroom.

Together, Professor Joanne Campbell, and Dr. Christine Hagedorn, developed and teach Healing Earth: Theory and Practice, a course they teach each fall that explores ecological spirituality, environmental justice, and sustainability. The course includes a planned research trip to the Cape May Birding Festival, where students observe how ecological systems and social values intersect. Professor Campbell also teaches Animals and Society, a course that examines the ethical, cultural, and environmental dimensions of human relationships with animals.

These courses equip students to think critically about their place in the world and their responsibility to care for creation. They also provide hands on experiences that connect theory with practice.

Faculty also engage students through ecopedagogy. This educational model emphasizes the relationship between people and the environment. It encourages critical thinking, reflection, and action. Our postdigital approach combines digital literacy with a deep appreciation for physical spaces, particularly our historic gardens and buildings.

Sustaining a Legacy

Rosemont honors the legacy of Mother Mary Lawrence, our first landscape architect and mother gardener. Her vision lives on in our gardens, our curriculum, and our community partnerships. Students co author publications, like Utilizing the Historic Built Environment of Rosemont, which highlight how heritage and sustainability intersect on our campus.

As Pope Leo XIV calls the global community to care for creation, Rosemont College proudly answers. Through education, service, and spiritual reflection, we continue to shape a future rooted in hope, justice, and ecological integrity.

Read more about Pope Leo XIV’s message at the Vatican News.