Today, we honor St. Hildegard of Bingen — Benedictine abbess, mystic, composer, healer, and one of the Church’s earliest environmental thinkers. A Doctor of the Church, St. Hildegard saw the natural world not only as God’s creation but also as a sacred, living expression of divine wisdom. She called it viriditas — the “greening power” of life.
With all of the climate-related health and environmental issues in our modern world, St. Hildegard’s vision is more relevant than ever. Her reverence for the Earth reminds us that caring for creation is not optional — it is an essential expression of our faith.
As we mark her feast day, let us be inspired by her words and witness to renew our commitment to ecological conversion, rooted in awe, gratitude, and action.
“The Earth is at the same time mother, she is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human. She is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all.”
– St. Hildegard of Bingen
St. Hildegard, pray for us.
