”God gave us a bountiful garden, but we have turned it into a polluted wasteland of debris, desolation, and filth,” Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si, a papal document released to coincide with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
Each year the cast and crew of Sacred Heart Academy’s annual musical implements a concept-based service project. Inspired by Pope Francis, the cast and crew of this year’s musical decided to act on his words. Being “Under the Sea” can be fun, but the reality of living on the Connecticut shoreline is another story. “By partnering with the non-profit organization Save Our Sound, this year’s “Little Mermaid” team committed to several beach clean-ups throughout the month of September. Preserving nature is a vital aspect of the Pope’s call to action and our students responded with hours of dedicated service by cleaning up our shoreline,” shared musical director MaryLee Delaney.
This year’s musical—Disney’s The Little Mermaid—will run the first weekend in November at the historic Shubert Theatre in downtown New Haven. The cast of more than 150 students has been practicing since August. Tickets are available at Sacred Heart Academy, 265 Benham St., Hamden, www.sacredhearthamden.org, or through the Shubert Box Office.
