Eco-Spirituality Towards Ecological Conversion A Response to Eco-Moral Crises

This study aims to determine what the Middle Grade Students value in life. It also intends to deepen the ecological valuing among the youth. In response to an action research as proposed by the school, a mixed method was conducted among the 135 student- respondents in the NCR region. A striking question “What will you do to a hectare of land which is equivalent to two-football fields?” was given to the respondents and they were tasked to do a drawing or poster with caption in a white paper in response to such question. The data revealed that only 36 students in a 135 population or less than 50% of the respondents drew farms, gardens, and forest parks signifying their intentions to prioritize Nature over other things. Others’ depiction of their drawings includes family business, restaurant, recreational areas, and buildings/ housing / outreach programs for the less fortunate. Since the youth are the pillars of Church’s mission and continuity, there is an urgent need to protect, empower, and deepen a new kind of ecological education for them involving love for God’s creations that might solve the ecological issues like climate change, pollution problems, biodiversity decline, and the recent pandemic affecting the global communities. This research implicates futur enhancement and deepening of youth spirituality and education towards interior and ecological conversion as Pope Francis has stated in his “Laudato Si” to save the creations of God.

Keywords – ecological challenges, ecological virtue, spirituality, education, “Laudato Si”