Mary O’Connell graduated from Saint Viator High School in 2016, where she says her faith life grew and so did her call to serve. At St. Louis University, she majored in environmental studies and theology, and it was there that she became passionate about advancing sustainable living, with a prayerful attitude.
She now lives and works as a horticulturalist at Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City. Here, at this Catholic intentional community — built on the four cornerstones of prayer, community, service and simplicity — her worlds have collided.
In this latest podcast episode of Viatorian Voices: Conversations on the Way, Mary describes her work and how her Catholic formation and love of science have brought her to this point: “(At Jerusalem Farm), we have conversations about how can we bring back environmental consciousness to the earth and live in a more sustainable way, and do it with a prayerful attitude.”