The Sheets Family Saint Kateri Habitat
Living Laudato Si in the Domestic Church
by Jennifer Sheets
In my experience, children are born with an innate attraction to nature and wonder. My experience in rural living over the past few years helped me recognize that wonder is the origin of reality and, thus, learning. Furthermore, that wonder is awakened by the beauty witnessed within their environment.
As a mother to eleven children and several adopted, I desire to give our children the room to grow and regain some childlike innocence that some had lost due to early childhood trauma. Additionally, to foster the ability to recognize all of His beauty in the world even in times of difficulty.
Educated in Christian counseling, I understand the importance of healing the whole self, my children, and mine. Over the next several years, our family will be doing the work of caring for the individual tendrils within our hearts with hopes of blossoming into who He created each of us to be.
I soon was surprised to discover that our childhood memories were not present. Simple joys such as chasing butterflies and sightings of American Woodcock nesting or hearing whippoorwills sing at night were absent. I realized my children might not experience this authentic beauty if they did not seek to understand its absence.
One of our first summers here, one of our youngest children had fallen in love with a butterfly they named “cupcake.” Each morning, she would awaken with anticipation in hopes of a glimpse of the small, winged creature. As summer winded down and fewer
butterflies were seen, she would often cry when it was time to come inside, longing to say goodnight to her friend.
During the evenings, when I made time to reflect on our day, the hopeful waiting in my then three-year-old replayed in my mind. As a mother, I could not ignore her need for simple experiences of wonder.
The following spring, our family started our first habitat. Inspired by the Catholic churches’ Year of Saint Joseph’ and our family’s intention to pray the Rosary more, we began transforming our backyard into a Walking Rosary and Saint Joseph garden.
This first habitat, now registered as a Saint Kateri Habitat and Monarch Waystation (MonarchWatch.org #), was designed to reflect on our days prayerfully, offer thanks for our work, and be surrounded by the beauty of wildflowers and native plants. It is a space where everyone can individually retreat and become more mindful of their emotions and the reality of their day. Most importantly, be immersed in natural beauty and His presence.
To create and increase pollinators in our habitat, we researched wildflowers and plants that would thrive in our area. After obtaining a list, we turned to the Saint Kateri Conservation Center for help in locating suppliers for native plants. Using the tool on their website, “Native Plant Nursery Map,” we could locate and purchase many plant species native to our area. Some plants and flowers planted were Dog Violet, Field Thistle, Prairie Coreopsis, Nodding Wild Onion, Smooth Fleabane, and Butterfly-weed. Of course, we increased the milkweed on our property by planting more milkweed.
As a mother, I hope that this site will become a witness of God’s unseen work in ways their childlike self can understand, such as in the life cycle of a butterfly or nesting songbirds. And when times are uncertain or in a state of turbulent change, our children will have a place where they can retreat and regain their original experience of joy and hopeful anticipation, such as with “cupcake,” the butterfly.
As we are winding down our school year, I hope that with the continued knowledge from our habitats and the recognition of God’s indispensable presence in the natural world, we all continue to seek a relationship with the outdoors. To recognize the natural world as a mode to heal and question the meaning of each present moment. From this, we learn more about who we are as humans and that the beauty that attracts our hearts to the fingerprint of God, He who desires us and calls us by name.
So while rural living is challenging at times, my experience has verified our vocation. For my family, embrace a Catholic rural life conducive to discovery and wonder, thus offering a nurturing environment surrounded by His integrated presence and healing of their childhood self.