June 3–9, the Stuart Center in Washington, D.C., hosted the Sacred Heart Global Citizen Program, bringing together 12 participants from Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States to participate in a week of exploration, conversation, reflection and prayer. This year’s focus was Ecological Transformation through Spirituality.
The program was co-organized by the office of Educational Initiatives and Leadership and the office of Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation at the Stuart Center and in collaboration with the Center for Spirituality in Nature in Washington, D.C.
“This program is typically for young adults ages 18-30 who have demonstrated a commitment to social change in their communities,” said Imma De Stefanis rscj, executive director of the Stuart Center. “The group is intended to be international so that they can connect with other young adults who share their concerns, values, see how some of the concerns of their communities are shared, and broaden their sense of the world and their place in it.”
“I’ve run a lot of programs. Every group is different and this group was really special,” said Beth Norcross, the founder and executive director of the Center for Spirituality in Nature, who facilitated the week, leading discussions, spiritual excercises and field experience, each day, that focused on different aspects of our earth and our relationship to it. “I was impressed by their poise, depth and ability to be open to a wide range of spiritual experiences,” she said.
