Seeking Harmony: Teilhard’s Vision Discussed at Annual Kraft Lecture

How can we be faithful to God, humanity, and Earth? This question was at the heart of this year’s Joan & Deacon R. Wayne Kraft Memorial Lecture.

Themed “Hope for the Future: Evolution, Technology, and Our Sacred Earth,” Andrew Del Rossi, Th.D., director of the Spirituality and Retreat Center at Daylesford Abbey and a scholar of the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, discussed Teilhard’s vision of an integrated future—one where faith, science, and our relationship with the Earth are deeply connected.

In an age where artificial intelligence and other technologies are entrenched in our daily lives, Del Rossi is neither surprised nor disheartened by society’s inability to cope.

“Through technology, we are moving to a point of hyper-connection and that’s a lot for us to process, too much for us to process. We can’t do it and can see in the world how it is quite literally driving people mad,” said Del Rossi. “What is this point of the hyper-relations we are moving to? Teilhard says it’s the Omega Point. We stop branching off and start uniting.”

The key to uniting, he says, is to find something we all have in common. Like bees working together in a hive or ants in a colony, he believes that one of our best chances at developing a sense of connectedness and order is to build a better relationship with our natural world.

“Well-being is found in the communion of our planet, not the conquest of it. We are not in any sort of harmony right now with our minds, bodies, and spirits, and I think this is largely due to a lack of unity with our planet.”

Del Rossi explains that the ecological crisis is obvious by the toxic pollutants in the air, pharmaceuticals in our water supply, etc. He suggests that the first step toward caring for our Earth is by caring for our bodies. From there, we can seek ways to get to know our environment and be a blessing to it.

One example includes going to the farmer’s market to have a conversation with the person who grows our produce, rather than picking it up at a supermarket. Another is taking deep breaths and reflecting on how the oxygen we are breathing is the same as everyone else.

“Our call is to make the stresses of the ho-hum boringness of life a sacred thing,” said Del Rossi. “As much as this is a talk about our sacred Earth, it’s a talk about our sacred lives and our sacred bodies and how we are a part of the universe and are continually transforming and making this world anew.”

The Kraft Lecture series celebrates the legacy of Joan A. and Deacon R. Wayne Kraft, recognizing their profound impact on faith, philosophy, and service. Wayne Kraft, an adjunct professor of philosophy at DeSales University, was a dedicated scholar of Teilhard de Chardin, publishing four books on his philosophy. For his contributions as a Catholic layman, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities in 1984 and the DeSales Medal in 1988.

Joan Kraft was a trailblazer in church and community life, serving as a song leader, one of the first female lectors, a Eucharistic Minister, and a pastoral team member. She also made history as the first Catholic woman to serve as a volunteer associate chaplain at St. Luke’s Hospital, earning a degree in pastoral care. In recognition of her service, she received an honorary doctorate in 1980 and the DeSales Medal in 2004.