The price of meat may be a few dollars—but the true cost is far greater. Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ examines the hidden environmental, human, and animal harms of animal agriculture and explores what justice demands of a Catholic dinner plate.
All posts by Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ
Daniel, a native of Goa India, is studying Theology at Boston College in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. A former techie in Silicon Valley, where he did not work for tech support, Daniel enjoys photography, hiking, vegan baking, and promoting concern for animals through his website https://www.vegancatholic.org/.
Joined in 2018 40 posts dmascarenhassj@thejesuitpost.org
Looking for the Lost in the Desert
Clothes tangled in thorny brush and rosaries left behind in the sand testify that migrants crossing the desert are more than statistics. In searching for them, Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ reflects on how the Parable of the Lost Sheep calls Christians to unconditional love—especially when it seems impossible or even absurd.
The Right to Life of Animals
Being in the image of God implies that humans have certain capacities for the transcendent, which confers them their rights. Because animals have certain capacities for love and self-mastery, Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ reflects that they too deserve to be treated with dignity.
Praying with the Pope: Caring for the Mental Health of Farm Workers
As the Church prays this November for those struggling with mental health, Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ draws attention to an often unseen group: slaughterhouse workers. In this reflection, he links compassion for animals with care for the human souls bearing the trauma of the meat industry.
The Spiritual Foundation of a Lasting Ecological Conversion
How do the Spiritual Exercises speak to an ecological crisis? In this Season of Creation, Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ proposes an “Ecological First Principle and Foundation” to ground a lasting ecological conversion.
Flee from Demons in Food as Saint Paul Commands
In Corinth, meat in marketplaces often came from sacrifices to gods — and Saint Paul thus warned it carried a demonic character. Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ asks if our modern food system carries its own spiritual dangers.
Grief, Relationality, and Animals: A Call to Bother to Love
Grief at the death of animals reveals a moral obligation we too often ignore. Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ argues that if we dare to feel this grief, it becomes a call to love them as fellow creatures of God.
Eating Vegan and Healthy Isn’t Selfish — It’s Faithful
The Catholic faith esteems the human body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Given the negative health outcomes of animal-based foods, Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ reflects how loving God, neighbor, and self through a plant-based diet seems to be a no-brainer.
Consuming Creation: The Ecological Toll of Animal Agriculture
The damage inflicted by animal agriculture is often ignored, but its impact on God’s creation is undeniable. Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ, argues that Christians cannot settle for an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to the ecological crisis.