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This week we celebrate Easter with water appreciation stories, a prayer in time of drought, experiences of Rural Life Celebrations and a Congress update. Visit our website for more.
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Life-Giving Water
Water Stories and New Website
Christ has risen! This past Easter weekend, in celebration of the Resurrection, we renewed our Baptisms as a community of believers. We also witnessed the adult Catechumens receive Baptism under the sacramental sign of water. Water is a beautiful sign of our faith and of the life it gives us.
Last month, in commemoration of World Water Day, we reported that Pope Francis called for a global conversation on protecting the absolutely essential resource of water.
We alerted our members and network about a dedicated website called Watershed where visitors could share their stories. It's been a popular feature: people have shared in various ways how water affects their lives and communities. Click
here to see some amazing stories.
And here at CRL, we also wanted to hear your stories. If you were inspired by visiting the links above, then please send us your story--in words, photo, artwork or video--to Morgan@CatholicRuralLife.org
More on water: a new website from National Geographic, Uncharted Waters, explores water use in agriculture. The site features a video, an educational quiz and other interactive components. Check out the video below!
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Florida Drought and Wildfires
"With much of Central Florida under a drought as it ushers in another dry spring, it's not just farmers who are praying for rain - so are firefighters." That's the lead to a recent story in the
Orlando Sentinel. Parts of Florida, like other parts of the country in recent years, are suffering from prolonged drought conditions.
The Florida Forest Service reports that drought conditions
are holding
statewide, with about 30 percent more fires in the first three months of 2017 than the year before.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
website
states:
"
Drought is fueling wildfires across Florida, making this year's fire season the most active since 2011. Since January, the Florida Forest Service has battled more than 1,500 wildfires that have burned about 80,000 acres."
There is no doubt that the drought and fires have an effect on farming, ranching and rural life in Florida. When asked how it affected her, a woman living in rural Southwest Florida said: "It makes it difficult to even tend my garden. Everything is dry, and we cannot water the plants as much as last year. When I finish working, I have black (from the smoke and ash) all over my hands and clothes."
Loving Creator, we pray for those who have been affected by recent climate disasters: the wildfires affecting parts of Florida and the wildfires that also swept across the Southern Plains earlier this year. We pray for all those around the world who suffer from floods, droughts and climate disruptions. Break open our hearts to allow the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters to move us to bold, prophetic action for all peoples and all generations. Amen.
Photo of smoke taken outside Big Cypress National Preserve, Southwest Florida (Morgan Smith).
Click
here for more resources and prayers for rural families.
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Article Relays Celebration Experiences
The Easter Season reminds us of the beauty of renewal, communion, and community. We celebrate the Resurrection of Christ together in gratitude and adoration of the newness of life in spring. Reflecting upon the importance of community is a beautiful spiritual exercise for this time of year. This is why we share with you an article from the latest issue of the CRL magazine:
Why Rural Matters.The article, "Something to Celebrate", shares the experiences of folks around the country taking part in Rural Life Celebrations.
A
Rural Life Celebration is a gathering at a rural locale, such as a family farm. Catholic Rural Life supports the efforts of the parishioners, parish clusters and dioceses who want to celebrate and promote their rural life.
Read about the celebrations around the country
here. Learn more about how to start a Rural Life Celebration in your parish or diocese: see our Rural Life Celebration Handbook
here.
Celebrate community by
becoming a member of Catholic Rural Life. Members receive our quarterly
magazine in the mail as part of membership!
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Agriculture on Capitol Hill
Movement Forward as Congress Returns
Members of Congress are wrapping up their Easter recess this week and will return to Washington, DC over the weekend. On Monday, the Senate is expected to confirm Sonny Perdue, a former Georgia governor, as the new Secretary of Agriculture. He has worked as a veterinarian and owned grain and fertilizer businesses. His nomination was generally well received, and many look forward to having the USDA leadership position filled and moving on many food and ag fronts.
Completing a budget for next fiscal year is a clear priority for Congress. Drafting a new Farm Bill is another important matter. This piece of legislation takes effort and collaboration, which is why the process has been started prior to its authorization later next year. For more on Farm Bill policymaking, check out these blog posts at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
For our part, CRL continues to collaborate with sustainable agriculture advocates in calling for support of crucial farm, food and rural development programs. These include conservation programs; support for limited resource family farms, including beginning farmers; and rural enterprises and business development.
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