As the Church marked the Season of Creation 2026, young people in Zimbabwe were invited to look beyond words and prayer and rediscover what it means to care for our common home. Under the theme “Living Waters: Rivers of Justice, Streams of Hope,” the Jesuit Youth Office of Southern Africa, in collaboration with Silveira House and the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA), brought together thirty -five young people for a series of prayerful and practical ecological activities.

Observed globally from 1 September to 4 October, the Season of Creation encourages Christians and people of goodwill to renew their relationship with God’s creation and reflect on their responsibility to the Earth. Rooted in the Christian call to stewardship, the season resonates strongly with the vision expressed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’, which reminds humanity that care for creation is inseparable from care for our brothers and sisters, particularly those most vulnerable to environmental degradation.

For the young people who participated in the 2026 activities, this call became more than a theological reflection. It became an experience of prayer, community and service.

From prayer to action

The program brought together several dimensions of ecological engagement, including Holy Mass, tree planting at Silveira House, a community clean-up campaign and an ecological service activity at Chichester House. At Silveira House, young people gathered not only to pray for creation but also to contribute to its renewal through the planting of trees. With their hands in the soil, the participants encountered a simple but profound expression of Christian hope: the conviction that small acts of care can contribute to a more sustainable future.

The tree-planting activity also offered a powerful symbol of intergenerational responsibility. A tree planted today may take years to mature, yet those who plant it may not be the ones who ultimately benefit from its shade. In this sense, planting a tree becomes an act of generosity towards people yet to come.

For the Youth Office, the initiative was therefore more than an environmental activity. Each tree planted represented an investment in the future and a tangible expression of the Christian vocation to protect and nurture God’s creation.

Ecology as a vocation to service

The Season of Creation activities also extended beyond Silveira House. Young people participated in a clean-up campaign and later engaged in ecological service at Chichester House, where they undertook practical work including clearing grass, preparing garden spaces, arranging wood and planting a tree. The experience placed the young people directly in the midst of the ordinary realities of service. It reminded them that ecological responsibility does not always begin with large projects or sophisticated solutions. It can begin with something as simple as picking up litter, tending a garden, planting a tree, or giving one’s time in service of another community.

This approach reflects the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola, in which faith is expressed through action and service. The ecological crisis therefore becomes not only an environmental concern but also a spiritual and social challenge.

“Everything is connected”

One of the most significant lessons emerging from the Season of Creation was the importance of interconnectedness. Environmental challenges cannot be separated from questions of poverty, health, livelihoods, justice, and human dignity. Communities that depend directly on the land and natural resources are often among those most affected by environmental degradation.  This perspective lies at the heart of Laudato Si’. Pope Francis presents care for our common home as part of an integral ecology, reminding the Church that environmental, social and human concerns are deeply interconnected.

For the young people involved, this became evident through the experience of working together. The activities created spaces where prayer, community, environmental responsibility and service could meet.

Young people as agents of hope

Rather than viewing young people merely as beneficiaries of environmental programmes, the initiative recognized them as active participants and agents of transformation. Through their involvement in ecological activities, they were given opportunities to learn, serve, collaborate, and take responsibility for the world they will inherit.

The theme “Living Waters: Rivers of Justice, Streams of Hope” offered a fitting spiritual framework for this journey. Water sustains life, crosses boundaries, and connects communities. In the same way, the call to care for creation requires cooperation that transcends individual communities, institutions, and generations.

The experience also demonstrated that hope is not passive. Christian hope is expressed through concrete action. It is seen when people choose to serve, when communities work together and when individuals take responsibility for the future.

A continuing commitment

For the Jesuit Youth Office, the Season of Creation is not an isolated annual event but part of a broader commitment to forming young people who are attentive to the needs of both humanity and creation. Through its ecological initiatives, the Youth Office seeks to nurture a culture in which environmental responsibility becomes an integral part of Christian life and youth formation. Collaboration with organisations such as Silveira House and CYNESA strengthens this mission by creating opportunities for young people to encounter ecology through spirituality, education and service.

The journey does not end when the Season of Creation concludes on 4 October. Rather, the season serves as an invitation to continue living its message throughout the year.

The challenge before the Church is therefore clear: to form communities that do not merely speak about the care of creation, but embody it in their choices, institutions and ministries.

For the young people who took part, the message was simple yet profound. We are not simply inheritors of the Earth; we are its stewards.

Every tree planted, every piece of waste collected, and every garden tended becomes a small but meaningful contribution to a larger vision of ecological conversion.

As the young people returned to their communities, they carried with them more than memories of a day of service. They carried a renewed understanding that caring for creation is a shared Christian vocation.

The rivers of justice and streams of hope envisioned in this year’s Season of Creation will ultimately depend on the choice’s communities make today.

And perhaps, in the shade of the trees planted by young people today, future generations will encounter a living testimony of hope.

By, Mr. Benjamin T Matsika

Integral Youth Development (IYD), Youth Co-ordinator,

Jesuit Province of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe.