We were greeted by Fr. Mike at the gate of the Shrine of St. Anthony, a Franciscan shrine located 30 miles west of Baltimore. Even before stepping foot into the shrine, one could hear birds’ chirpping from all directions and cows’ mooing in the distance. Fr. Mike guided us through the sanctuary before inviting us to sit in the library to talk about the history, believes, and actions on reducing food insecurity taken by the shrine.
What I found interesting personally, though not directly related to food, is the Franciscan way of viewing nature as someone who supports us and whom we need to support like as family. He pointed out that nowadays we human counterposes ourselves from nature, saying things like “man vs wild”, when in reality we are part of nature. It is essential that we position ourseves appropriately in relation to the Earth, so that we can always be grateful to what we have now and remember to give back.
After lunch, we worked in the Little Portion Farm ran by the shrine to help prepare for the coming spring. The Little Portion Farm was created as an attempt to both bring people closer to nature and provide fresh produces to serve those who are in need. Every year different types of crops such as potatos, lettuces, tomatos and more are harvested and delivered to the Franciscan Center in Baltimore for distribution. Fr. Mike, when explaining the objective of the farm, quoted from Pope Francis: “to hear the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.” Even though the project is still in its developing stage, there are clear visions and plans to create an ecosystem where human and nature can work hand in hand to combat food insecurity in Baltimore area in a sustainable manner.
