As we prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical on May 24, the important teaching urging care for our common home, we invite the Mercy community to deeper engagement through a series of stories showcasing how sisters and others have responded to the encyclical. Their inspiring stories are part of the Institute’s participation in the Jubilee Year, when Pope Francis calls us to be Pilgrims of Hope.
By Companion in Mercy Andrea Vettori, MSN, CRNP
Sanctuary Farm Philadelphia is dedicated to addressing health disparities by increasing access to fresh produce, nutrition education, and safe community spaces in North Philadelphia. We provide a welcoming and beautiful green space for all, fostering a sense of community and connection to the Earth.
As a Companion in Mercy and a nurse practitioner serving marginalized communities, I felt called to go beyond the clinical setting for my patients—many of whom lack access to resources that others may take for granted: fresh, healthy food, safe environments to build community, and opportunities to engage with nature. Sanctuary Farm was founded on Mother’s Day in 2017 and has since grown to serve over 450 families annually, offering free locally grown produce along with classes and programs that promote healing—not only for the individual, but for the entire community and the Earth.
This mission aligns deeply with Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’s encyclical on caring for our common home. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis urges us to hear both “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (LS 49), recognizing that these two cries are interconnected—ecological degradation and social injustice often go hand in hand.
At Sanctuary Farm, we witness this connection daily. Many of our neighbors face food insecurity and limited access to fresh, nutritious food. Simultaneously, urban land is frequently neglected or contaminated. By transforming vacant lots into thriving gardens, we help restore both environmental health and human dignity. As one early visitor to our farmstand said, “You all are not just feeding us, you’re healing us.”
Laudato Si’ calls us to embrace an “integral ecology”—an approach that acknowledges the deep interconnections among environmental, economic, social, and cultural concerns. Sanctuary Farm embodies this vision. We don’t just grow food—we nurture relationships, empower individuals, and cultivate a spirit of stewardship for creation.
The encyclical also highlights the significance of small, local actions. As Pope Francis writes, “There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions” (LS 211). Every seed we plant, every workshop we offer, and every neighbor we welcome into the garden contributes to a broader movement toward ecological justice.
In a city often challenged by inequality, violence, and environmental harm, Sanctuary Farm stands as a living sign of hope and healing. It is a space where Laudato Si’ takes root—in the soil, in the hands that tend it, and in the community that flourishes from it.