The spiritual legacy of Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ continues to take root and flourish across Indonesia. The call to care for the earth as our common home is being embraced by Catholic grassroots communities, including St. Helena Parish in Curug, Tangerang Regency, Banten Province.
On Sunday, September 21, the parish’s Sub-Committee on the Environment organized an educational program titled “Waste for Tree Seedlings.” The initiative invited parishioners to bring inorganic waste from home and exchange it for tree seedlings. Alongside this symbolic exchange, participants also received practical training in waste separation, composting, eco-enzyme production, and creating biopores.
Speaking to Radio Veritas Asia, Mr. Christ Nugroho, a member of the local organizing team, explained that the program was designed by parishioners, particularly the Sub-Committee on Justice, Peace, and the Environment (SKP).
“In this training, each participant who brought recyclable waste from home could exchange it for a tree seedling provided by the organizers, as part of the ‘Waste for Trees’ program,” Nugroho said.
“Caring for the earth cannot stop at slogans. It requires daily habits, starting with small steps at home,” he added. Nugroho, who also serves in the Indonesian President’s Executive Office (KSP), has long practiced waste management in his own household.
Engaging the Whole Community
The training drew enthusiastic participation from both children and adults. Participants learned how to make eco-enzymes from kitchen scraps, observed the function of biopores, and practiced separating organic and inorganic waste.
The distribution of tree seedlings as rewards for collected waste served as a tangible sign of each participant’s commitment to environmental care.
“This program is a concrete effort by the Church to embody the message of Laudato Si’, which emphasizes humanity’s responsibility to safeguard creation,” said one organizer. “With less waste and more trees, we hope parishioners will grow accustomed to managing household waste while contributing to the preservation of the planet.”
Faith in Action
For the Curug parish community, the event was more than just a training session. It was also a spiritual movement rooted in the conviction that protecting creation is a form of protecting life itself.
From these small but meaningful steps, the spirit of Laudato Si’ continues to spread, shaping a new culture of environmental awareness in wider Indonesian society.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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