Community Planting Day - Living Waters
With Phil Carlino
October 10, 2026
This planting day will be dedicated to learning about and caring for the Watershed.
This year’s Season of Creation asks us to consider Living Water. Every drop of rain that falls here goes somewhere: into the ground, or off it and downstream. What we do on this land is already part of a much larger body of water we share with everyone below us. Roots and leaf litter are how hard ground heals enough to hold what falls on it, so we will spend the afternoon planting shrubs and ground covers. No experience needed. Come dressed for the dirt!
We Need Your Hands! We are transforming the grounds at St. Raphaela Center into a haven for local biodiversity, and we need volunteers to help us get these plants in the ground. This is a great activity to join the Church in prayer and celebration of the Season of Creation!
- When: Saturday, October 10
- Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
- Where: We will meet outside the dining hall.
- What to bring: Garden gloves, a trowel (if you have one), a reusable water bottle, and sun protection.
Please register so we know how many to expect!
We will also have an Ecological Examen from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the same day (October 10). If you are interested in participating in both offerings, we will provide lunch!
About the Spiritual Director
Phil Carlino
Philip Carlino is the Director of Ecological Stewardship at St. Raphaela Center, where for five years he has worked to bring the property's eleven acres to fuller life: converting lawn to native woodland, removing invasive species, and tending the land as a concrete act of reparation. His work joins ecological restoration to the Handmaids' charism, […]
Learn more about Phil Carlino