Justice-Making in the Household of the Earth
Sr. Sharon Zayac, OP, director of Jubilee Farm
sponsored by the Center for Dominican Studies

Sr. Sharon Zayac addressed a group of Barry University faculty, students and staff regarding the earth as the household in which we work for justice. Working for justice, according to Zayac, includes work done for all of Creation: humans and other creatures, as well as elements of the Earth itself. She encouraged those present to continue to develop a perspective that allows us to see the inclusiveness and interconnectivity of all that is as we strive to bring about God’s plan for justice and peace within Creation.

Zayac followed her presentation at Barry with an Advent Retreat at St. Thomas University, Miami, Florida. This retreat sought to address the question of how we can reclaim the season’s significance and discover its deeper meaning in the story of our cosmic origin. The Advent Retreat included two presentations and opportunities for journaling and reflection as well as prayer and Eucharist.

Zayac is known for her work in the field of Earth Spirituality. She is the Director of Jubilee Farm, a 111-acre center for ecology and spirituality. Most of the land at Jubilee Farm is preserved for habitat: pasture, creek, ponds, stands of trees. Walking trails, facilities for individual retreats, an outdoor labyrinth, resource center, and an organic vegetable garden offer visitors a chance to connect with the land and find their own peace and quiet. Zayac recently authored Earth Spirituality: In the Catholic and Dominican Traditions, which was the subject of an earlier book study at Barry University.