Dear Friends,

This is a historic day. As we once placed our bodies as moral bulwarks between symbols of the war machine such as the Pentagon and its victims, today we are stepping forward as Earth Guardians at precious earth sites such as majestic Monument Mountain. You are all to be commended for your generosity and commitment, whatever part of today's arduous journey you have participated in.

I regret that can only be with you in spirit, due to temporary illness, because I am a devoted mountain climber. I remember when an old mountaineer persuaded me to celebrate Mass on one of the Alpine peaks years ago, he said: "Whoever wants to see the greatness of God, let him go to the mountains!"

My words of encouragement to you are simple today.

We humans are not merely on the Earth but we are a dimension of the Earth- that part, and the only part, in which the Earth becomes conscious of herself. We then have the role and therefore the ability to find our way out of this apparently hopeless situation of global warming.

We have in our genetic coding and through the spontaneities within us the guidance that will lead us forward to the light. We can even to go to the Earth herself for guidance. Thus we will rediscover our true role in the Earth community and from there the practicalities will appear.

These are all things that indigenous people under stand very simply and directly.

By getting together today you are facilitating this process.

Congratulations & God bless you!

                                                                Father Paul