‘HOLY ENDEAVOR’

Two Siena friars supporting Pope Francis’ creation call with garden behind friary

Father Bob Sandoz (l.) and Father Greg Gebbia, inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Sí,” have greatly expanded the garden — which is overflowing with vegetables — behind the Siena friary. (Photos provided)

Father Greg Gebbia and Father Bob Sandoz had done some gardening before, but were interested in really embracing the hobby to promote a green lifestyle and feed their brother friars on the campus of Siena College. Most of all, they wanted to support Pope Francis’ call to connect with creation and protect “our common home:” Mother Earth.

Using many repurposed, borrowed and gifted materials, the two Siena friars have greatly expanded the garden behind the friary, and it is now bursting with ripe-for-the-picking vegetables and honeybee-enticing flowers. With the help of YouTube gardening tutorials, loving work and patience, they have been rewarded with results that would be the envy of any garden hobbyist. 

Father Greg and Father Bob both credit the papal encyclical “Laudato Sí” as an inspiration for this new form of ministry. In it, Pope Francis identifies ways that we as humans are contributing to the worldwide ecological crisis. 

“Because of our lifestyles, we are not benign in our impacts on climate and the environment,” Father Bob said. “He argues for all of us to deepen our relationship with nature and our garden is a response to that. As part of the human family, I am part of the climate problem; our garden is a small way that we can become part of the solution.” 

Father Greg calls gardening “a holy endeavor.” 

“It is about peace, life, goodness and health,” he said. “There is such personal satisfaction in this work. We simply must stop seeing creation as something that serves our ends and purposes no matter what. It is clear Mother Earth needs our cooperation and participation if we are to protect our planet.”

In the spirit of hope and trust in nature that sustains all farmers who grow our food, Father Greg and Father Bob set aside a room in the friary early this year to begin their project. They planted vegetable and flower seeds in dozens of small cups, with both natural sun and ultraviolet grow lamps providing warmth and light to nurture the plants.

“It’s like a miracle right before your eyes,” Father Bob said. “There was nothing, and then there were plants.”  

Once they had sufficiently sprouted, they were transplanted outside to a newly expanded 50-foot-by-25-foot plot that now features its own irrigation system, garden beds made from wood that used to form a staircase behind the friary, cardboard flooring and mulch to prevent weed growth, as well as above-and below-ground barriers to deter animals from sampling the produce. Using the concept of “square-foot gardening” to maximize the use of smaller spaces to grow food, the garden features several varieties of tomatoes, as well as eggplants, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, beans, herbs and more — a whole produce section. 

What do they enjoy most about tending to their garden? There have been many rewards for both friars, besides the delicious produce.

“Gardening for me is about learning and creativity,” Father Greg said. “There are always new things to learn to help me be a more productive grower and achieve a more bountiful harvest. Learning how to build a garden requires my imagination as to how I will use the space that I have and what crops I will plant.”

“Because all of my ministry here at Siena is indoors, I love my time outside,” Father Bob said. “Living in one of the most spectacularly beautiful places in this country is wonderful and being outside is like being in paradise.” 

Any advice for those thinking about trying a hand at gardening? Father Bob takes his cue from Nike ads and says “Just Do It.” “Never think that your impact, however small, is unimportant. It is vitally important. Even small yards or apartments can engage in container gardening. It will make a difference. This is especially important to start with children. Get them growing young and they will grow throughout their lives. It’s fun. It’s healthy. It’s delicious.”

Father Greg noted the main pillars of “Laudato Sí” as inspiration not only for gardening, but for the sustainability efforts in general to which Siena has committed itself as an institution. Stewardship, respect for nature, sustainable living, and justice and solidarity have long been part of the Franciscan tradition on which the college was founded.

“We have come full circle on the issue of connecting with creation,” Father Greg said. “When we were an agricultural society, we had a spiritual connection to creation that was expressed in and through religious rituals. Our connection to the earth was almost transcendental. Native Americans still maintain this sensibility, as well as cultures aware of the cosmic energies that make life possible. The Christian Church also had this sensibility. 

“Gardening may not lead to increased philosophical discussions, but I think it could curtail our disregard for Mother Earth’s fragility and teach us to respect the splendor of God’s handiwork that has been entrusted to us.”

With such a bountiful harvest, the duo might next look at taking up yet another hobby: canning. The friary residents are enjoying the garden’s yield, but it’s been such a success it looks like there will be enough vine-ripened goodness to put by for the winter months. 

Lisa Witkowski is director of Public and Government Affairs and a lecturer in Management at Siena College.