Rooted in Spirit, Growing with the Earth: The Story of Sacred Heart Sacred Earth

In the heart of Metro Manila, where urban life hums and concrete landscapes stretch, there exists a quiet space of green, the Sacred Heart Novitiate and Retreat House (SHN & RH). In this unique ecological setting, amid the rustle of trees and the stillness of prayer, a movement is unfolding. It’s a story of awakening, of healing, and of deepening the bond between faith and the Earth. This is the story of the Sacred Heart Sacred Earth (SHSE) project.

The SHSE project was born from recognition of crisis: our planet is groaning under the weight of climate change, pollution, and a culture of disconnection from each other, from creation, and from God. The community at SHN & RH, in step with the Society of Jesus and the Church at large, recognized that spirituality can no longer be isolated from the urgent cries of the Earth. According to the leadership team, in many places a chasm has formed between faith and ecology, and “SHSE seeks to bridge this gap by restoring the intrinsic connection between spirituality and creation—recognizing that care for the Earth is deeply rooted in our relationship with God.”

This bridge was built not merely with programs or policies, but with relationships. Inspired by Laudato Si’ and the Universal Apostolic Preference #4, “to collaborate in the care of our Common Home,” the project set out to integrate ecological consciousness into the very fabric of Jesuit formation and Christian retreat life. 

SHSE developed organically. The Jesuit novices and the retreat house staff, though operating in different spheres, were united by a common passion: to care for creation as an act of faith. First Friday Masses, shared meals, and simple community interactions gave way to shared discernment. What began as parallel efforts soon blossomed into a shared mission. They were no longer just coexisting—they were co-creating a sacred space, one leaf, one prayer, one compost pile at a time.

This collaboration has led to what could be called a “mycorrhizal network”—borrowing from the natural world’s underground fungal webs that support entire ecosystems. In this sacred network, no part stands alone. Jesuits in formation, retreatants, lay collaborators, and even nearby institutions are becoming part of a growing web of life, united by the call to ecological conversion.

One of the project’s most powerful expressions is the Laudato Si’ Integral Faith Ecology (LIFE) Retreat. In January 2023, eight women from Ateneo de Naga University, Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, Sisters of St John the Baptist, and the Loyola School of Theology gathered for the first of its kind retreat at SHN & RH. The experience, guided by the spiritual direction of Dr Pinky Valdés, Fr Jojo Fung SJ, and Fr Jose Mari Manzano SJ, was grounded in Julian of Norwich’s idea of “oneing,” a sense of unity with all creation, which inspired them to live with greater gentleness and reverence. In those few days, they learned to draw healing from the sun and the soil, and to see the Earth not as a resource, but as a relative. One participant reflected: “The human being is the only one who can destroy and disrespect nature among all created beings. Yet the earth can well exist without us!”

Since then, these retreats have evolved. Now offered in 8-day, 5-day, and 3-day formats, and sometimes integrated with Vipassana-inspired Ignatian meditation led by Fr Toshihiro Yanagida SJ, the participants vary from Jesuit novices to youth groups to lay partners. What unites them is a shared longing to encounter God not only in scripture and silence, but also in rivers, roots, and rain: “in both soul and soil.”

For the novices, these experiences are important parts of their formation. Working side by side with staff in composting, waste segregation, and tending the land, they learn that spiritual growth is inseparable from ecological responsibility. Even meals become moments of encounter: eating with hands and leaves helps “cultivate a spirit of simplicity, solidarity, and ecological awareness,” recognizing that simplicity is an act of faith and justice.

Initiatives like these have also caught the attention of groups like Ateneo Wild, a program of The Ateneo de Manila University dedicated to ecological education. Plans are in place for workshops and immersive programs, especially for youth. The vision is to plant the seeds of ecological awareness early and watch them grow across generations.

The dream for SHN & RH is to develop “a quiet but meaningful presence in the Asia-Pacific region.” The team hopes to be a Sanctuary where the spiritual and the ecological are no longer separate journeys, but one path. A model of integral ecology, it envisions permaculture gardens, food forests, and contemplative spaces where visitors can hear both the whisper of the Spirit and the rustle of leaves.

This isn’t just about programs. It’s about creating a culture where Laudato Si’ is not simply read, but lived. Where parishes, schools, and dioceses can be inspired by quiet witness, and not only by institutional declarations. It’s a long road, and much is still unfolding—but the heart is steady, and the Earth is ready.

SHN & RH is not walking this path alone. The project thrives on partnership and community. But as the vision grows, so too does the need for committed collaborators and institutional support.

The invitation is open: to teachers, pastors, youth leaders, artists, and scientists. To those who pray with words and those who pray with soil. To those who know that the cry of the Earth is also the cry of the poor and the Spirit, urging us toward deeper communion.

In a time when the world feels fractured and the future uncertain, the story of Sacred Heart Sacred Earth is a gentle but firm reminder that healing is possible. Transformation is real. And faith can grow into something as vast and life-giving as the forest itself.

Special thanks to Fr. Jose Mari Manzano SJ and Fr. Lester Maramara SJ of the Sacred Heart Novitiate and Ms. Liesl Lim of the Sacred Heart Retreat Center for their collaboration in the creation of this article, and congratulations to the whole retreat house team and novitiate community on their work!