Philippine Religious Community Opens Tree Park in Response to Archbishop’s Climate Call

The Oblate Apostles of the Two Hearts (OATH), a Catholic community of priests and brothers in the central Philippine province of Cebu, inaugurated the Laudate Deum Tree Park on October 2, becoming the first religious community to respond to Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy’s call for parishes, religious communities and Catholic institutions to establish small forests.

The tree park, located at Casa Maria, the community’s retreat house, was blessed on the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. It was named after Laudate Deum, Pope Francis’ 2023 apostolic exhortation calling for urgent action to address the climate crisis.

Fr. David Ma. Villamor, OATH father moderator, said he offered the community’s existing forest for the initiative when he met Archbishop Uy over breakfast on May 24.

The archbishop had proposed that religious communities, parishes, barangay chapels and Catholic schools establish “pocket forests” as a practical response to environmental concerns.

Rather than planting a new forest, the OATH community designated the existing woodland surrounding Casa Maria for the project. Archbishop Uy later sent Fr. Villamor a photograph illustrating his vision for the tree park.

“His Excellency was amazed at how quickly the OATH community had responded to his challenge,” Fr. Villamor said. During the blessing, the archbishop said he intended to present the tree park as a model for other institutions to follow.

The forest at Casa Maria developed over many years through the efforts of Fr. Villamor’s father, who gradually transformed a former sugarcane plantation into a wooded area that now provides shelter for birds and other wildlife.

Fr. Villamor said the trees also hold personal significance. He recalled surviving a serious vehicle accident in Barangay Cantumog in Carmen, Cebu, when roadside trees prevented his vehicle from plunging into a ravine.

He later learned that his father had planted the trees.

“The trees my father planted saved my life. That experience taught me something I will never forget: when we protect nature, nature can also protect us,” he said.

Sr. Venus Marie Pegar, Mission In-Charge of the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier Philippine Mission, visited Casa Maria for a retreat and described the tree park as both an environmental initiative and a place for spiritual reflection.

“Their rapid response to the Archbishop’s call to establish a Tree Park is a beautiful testament to their collective faith, shared vision and deep sense of urgency,” Sr. Pegar said.

She said the wooded retreat setting offers visitors a peaceful place for prayer, meditation, Scripture reading and reflection away from the demands of daily life.

The initiative reflects the connection between environmental responsibility and Catholic spirituality emphasized in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ (2015) and Laudate Deum (2023).

Fr. Villamor said caring for creation should also shape everyday choices, including living simply, buying less, reducing waste and avoiding unnecessary consumption of food and water.

The OATH community hopes the initiative will encourage other religious communities, parishes, chapels, schools and local communities across Cebu and beyond to establish their own pocket forests, including in small available spaces.

“Eventually somebody has to plant a tree and care for it afterward,” Fr. Villamor said.