The church of St Francis Xavier, together with the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, hosted a youth eco retreat in Sg Pelek, Sepang, from 19 to 22 September. The retreat aimed to inspire ecological conversion among young people through Ignatian Spirituality, and by this means, help build the next generation of eco warriors.
Our group set out from St Francis Xavier (SFX) church at 10:30 am on 19 September, after having received a blessing from the Regional Superior of the Jesuits in Malaysia-Singapore, Fr Francis Lim SJ. Our destination was My Nature Leisure Farm, a humble eco-resort nestled in the countryside surrounding Sg Pelek, far from the madding crowd. The next few days would be filled with short talks, reflections, spiritual conversations, and activities to bring us closer to nature.
The retreat opened with a prayer: Covenant with the Land. The theme for the first day, “I am a Creature of God’s Love,” set the tone for our activities, which included Finding God in a Leaf and Befriending a Tree. This was followed by a guided examen in the evening.
The second day, themed “Desolation in a Damaged World,” began with spiritual conversations, consisting of three sessions held throughout the retreat. After lunch, we were treated to a hands-on lesson on enzyme-making using kitchen waste, conducted by Alexis Lim, proprietor of the eco-resort. She then gave us a tour around her dragon fruit farm, showing us how she grows her dragon fruit organically. That night, out in an open field, beneath the stars, each one of us lit a candle to symbolise our pledge to Care for Our Common Home.
The third day focused on “Conversion and Creation”. It began with a nature walk to find God in all things and get to know His Creation by truly savouring every sight, smell, sound, and sensation. Later that afternoon, after having gone through three days of input, reflection, and spiritual conversations, the youth were tasked with developing an ecological project that they would implement in their own communities.
The final day of the retreat was “A Call to Action” that saw the participants present two ecological projects. The first was a pop-up thrift shop that would be run entirely by the group members, and the second focused on incorporating ecological practices, especially the 3Rs—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—into the daily lives of other youth in their immediate community and subsequently to the larger residential community. Both projects will be guided by the SFX Care4Creation Ministry.
All in all, the youth eco retreat was a success. Everyone—participants, facilitators, and priests—gained valuable insights. Although the retreat has ended, the mission has just begun. May our new generation of eco warriors go forth, inculturating faith and evangelising culture, by living out their faith through the Care for Our Common Home.
