b'THE BEAUTY PHOTO BY JULIE WALLINGAND HOPE of GODS CREATION Marianist stewardship at Mount Saint John preserves the past while looking toward the futureBy Kathleen NelsonM ount Saint John is among PHOTO BY KATHLEEN NELSONthe most beautiful of theMarianists natural treasures.Nestled on 147 acres outside Dayton,Ohio, the grounds house a retreat center,PHOTO BY KATHLEEN NELSONchapel, Novitiate, grottos, and more.Yet the vast majoritymany would saythe most beautiful portionhas beenrestored as God and nature intended. More than 100 acres of nature preserveand 2 miles of trails serve as a livinglaboratory and beacon of beauty andhope, tended by the Marianist EnvironmentalEducation Center (MEEC).Were responsible for the 62-acre MarianistNature Preserve that includes the restored prairie,woods, pond, and trails, said Marianist Sister LeanneJablonski, a climate-change ecologist, educator, advocate,and director of MEEC. And the front field of 40 acres IN UNION WITH houses our native plant nursery, native plant meditative ALL CREATURES, WElabyrinth, and vegetable garden.Above, sumac leaves change colors in fall, while The story of its growth and the lessons of love of the JOURNEY THROUGHsunflowers grow at right in the community gardennear the solar array. Earth preceded by almost three decadesthe call THIS LAND SEEKINGof Pope Francis in 2015 in his encyclical Laudato S andRight page, trillium sessile blooms in spring in his exhortation Laudate Deum in 2023. GOD.POPE FRANCISthe moist bottomland woods of the MarianistNature Preserve. Continued on page 1410 Call 1.800.348.4732'