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Laudato Si’ Can Change the World
The Carmelite NGO has created new curriculum on Laudato Si’: Laudato Si’ Can Change the World. It is meant for grades 9-12 and also includes an adult study guide meant for study groups or college classes. The program is available to purchase on their website. -
San Diego Creation Care Team Success Stories
Catholic Climate Covenant has created two short videos to discuss how different churches in the San Diego diocese in California have worked to be better stewards of God’s creation. The parish of Our Mother of Confidence in San Diego, California, has taken action to reduce water and energy usage while the Saint James Parish and Academy in Solana Beach, California, has implemented environmentally conscious projects and initiatives in their community. -
Laudato Si’ Reflection Resource
This reflection on Laudato Si’ is a resource from Ecospirituality. It highlights important quotes and offers additional resources related to creation care. Suggested actions are listed in addition to the weekly reflection program. -
Ecospirituality Resources
Ecospirituality Resource is a website that connects concern for creation with growing faith, integrates new scientific discoveries with beliefs and lifestyles, and deepens the understanding of threats to Earth’s life systems and the call to respond. Everything on the website is free and downloadable. -
Dayton Divests
In June 2014, the University of Dayton became the first Catholic university in the United States to announce their divestment from coal and fossil fuels. Members of the university staff see this move as part of the university’s commitment to “being a responsible steward of the Earth’s natural resources.” This decision was commended by the president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Their decision was one inspired by faith reflection as well as a commitment to financial stability for the university.
Beyond divesting from coal and fossil fuels, the university has taken further steps to move their campus toward efficiency and sustainability. The university now has two full time employees who work to improve campus sustainability and offers academic programs in these areas as well. The University of Dayton is also home to the Hanley Sustainability Institute. -
Pope Tells Oil Executives to Act on Climate: "There Is No Time to Lose’”
This past Saturday, the pope gathered leaders of the world’s largest oil companies for a closed-door conference at the Vatican. He commended oil and gas companies for progress made in developing more careful approaches to assess of climate risk and adjustments made to their business practices. However, these actions are not enough. Pressure has been building on oil and gas companies to transition to less polluting forms of energy, often coupled with the threat of fossil-fuel divestment.
The pope reiterated his call for a transition from fossil fuels “to a greater use of energy sources that are highly efficient while producing low levels of pollution.” He emphasized that the poor who would suffer the most from the effects global warming. And that we owe it to the poorer countries and future generations. -
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Founded in 1899, The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) formed to represent the community of Catholic colleges and Universities in the United States. Connected to the universities and the church, the ACCU functions as a support for universities and offers opportunities through work at member institutions.
The published infographic on Catholic Higher Education and Environment offers great examples of Catholic institutions intentionally caring for creation. The infographic features three different environmental initiatives at Lourdes University in Ohio. -
Pope Francis and Environmental Leaders Forge Vision for Global Action
Environmental leaders, activists and advocates gathered with Pope Francis for a two-day Vatican-organized conference with hopes to emerge with a shared vision for protecting our planet. The conference was inspired by the third anniversary of the Pope’s encyclical and was attended by political and religious leaders, scientists, economists and heads of civil society organizations. Inspired by the call for unity and action in the encyclical, UN Environment also introduced their Interfaith Rain-forest Initiative at the conference. -
Canadian Ecumenical Document Embraces Christian Concern for Environment
On July 23, 2019, the Roman Catholic-United Church of Canada Dialogue in Canada released "The Hope Within Us," a document that focuses on climate change and ecological degradation. The statement urges Christian churches to put aside their differences and work in communion to acknowledge the downside of progress and greed of our economic and political systems as they negatively impact our environment. -
Prayers of the Faithful
Prayers of the Faithful is a selection of Catholic prayers from Season of Creation that can be used during mass or other religious services for the Season of Creation Month. The following is an excerpt from one of the prayers:
"United by our Catholic faith and respect for all life, including the life of unborn generations,we pray that the human family takes action to transition to clean energy and keep climate change in check. Let us pray. With a shared sense of responsibility to care for God’s beautiful, live giving creation, we pray that the goals of energy transition, reduced global warming, and protection of life for all are attained. Let us pray." -
Irish Bishops Announce Divestment from Fossil Fuels Ahead of the Pope's Visit
The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference announced it would divest from fossil fuels hours before the arrival of Pope Francis. The bishop's move means withdrawing investments in 200 oil and gas companies within five years. The bill was introduced in the Irish Parliament, requiring the country’s sovereign wealth fund to divest from all fossil fuels. If the Irish bill passes, it will make Ireland the first government to divest from fossil fuels. -
The Villa Farm
The Villa Maria, located in Villa Maria, Pennsylvania, describes itself on their website as the following: "Operating on 759 acres, the farm of Villa Maria Community Center is an integral part of the heritage of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. The farm serves as a symbol of the struggle and sacrifice of a small group of women who settled on the Lawrence County land in 1864 and succeeded in establishing a viable, productive farm when others before them had failed. Land management at the farm is based on spirituality, sustainability, simplicity and the preservation of all local life systems." The greenhouse is open seasonally along with a produce market that sells the food grown. -
Build a Catholic Relief Service Ark of Hope
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) created Ark of Hope as a way to get communities engaged in a fun and creative way. Relating to the hope and promise from the story of Noah’s Ark, the CRS Ark of Hope program allows communities to donate symbolic animals to people in need as they “build an ark.” As communities work towards their goal, they can color in animals and place them on an arc. The materials included with this program are lesson plans, a prayer service, coloring pages, and a bulletin-board Ark to show the progress communities are making towards reaching their goals and building their ark. -
USCCB President's Refelction and Prayer During Coronavirus
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Archbishop José H. Gomez offers his statement regarding COVID-19 to bring comfort to those affected by the virus and to pray for recovery. He offers prayer to healthcare workers and civic leaders helping fight against the virus and calls for solidarity among the congregation.
He leads a prayer to the Virgin Guadalupe for protection and healing, and for compassion and patience in the church.
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The Pope on Sustainability
An article written in Science Magazine covers the Pope's take on sustainability and environmental accountability. The Pope has inspired other religious leaders to also raise their voice about environmental issues like combating climate change. The introduction of the article notes that:
"The problems that motivate the Vatican are no different from those that concern the scientific community: depletion of nonrenewable resources, loss of ecosystem services, and risks from changing climate. But what the Vatican contributes is the rationale for taking action: because it is our moral responsibility to bequeath a habitable planet to future generations". -
Catholic Response to Outbreak of Coronavirus
Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace and Bishop David J. Mallot, Sean Callahan the president of Catholic Relief Services, and Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, the president of the Catholic Health Association of the United States offer a statement in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak. The statement applauds healthcare workers and calls on governing bodies to work together to combat the virus. The statement also recognizes the U.S. for sending 17 tons of medical supplies to China, an example of how compassion and teamwork is needed at this time. A part of his address contains the following:
“The Catholic Church in the United States stands in solidarity with those affected by the coronavirus and their families, health workers who are valiantly trying to diagnose and treat patients, and those under quarantine awaiting results of their screening for the virus. We offer our prayers for healing and support those organizations, both domestic and international, working to provide medical supplies and assistance to address this serious risk to public health." -
A Prayer for Protection in Time of Pandemic
A prayer for those who are sick, vulnerable, and/or have passed away due to illness, to Mother Mary and Son Jesus; Adapted from the prayer of Pope Francis, provided by the Knights of Columbus. -
A Summary of the Encyclical by Pope Francis
A summary of Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home, by Pope Francis. This summary includes a short introduction and explanation of the encyclical letter, and how to turn the letter into a teachable moment for children. The summary then breaks down the encyclical by briefly defining key topics (Saint Francis of Assisi and an integral ecology; Pollution, waste, and throwaway culture; Climate as a common good; Right of water; Loss of biodiversity; Global inequality; The Gospel of Creation; Integral ecology; Consumerism; Toward a new lifestyle; and Prayers) with direct quotes from the encyclical itself. -
Laudato Si': Activities with Children for a Better World
This resource outlines activities to teach children the concepts discussed in Pope Francis's encyclical letter Laudato si'. Activity topics include: Water; Endangered Species; Recycling; Consumerism; Build a World to Give to Our Children; Dignity of All Human People; and Gratitude. An excellent resource for educators! -
Quotable Quotes from Laudato Si'
A brief outline of Laudato Si' with a list of important quotes from the encyclical letter. Includes Guiding Questions to help lead discussion and learning. An excellent resource for educators! -
"Clean and Affordable Water for All"
The Michigan Catholic Conference, in their "Focus" magazine, published an article titled "Clean and Affordable Water for All" to raise awareness of the water crisis in Michigan and worldwide. PFAs and the health effects of drinking dirty water are discussed, emphasizing the importance of bringing everybody clean water. The article has information on the problems around affordability and accessibility of water in Michigan and closes with a prayer over water from Reverend Canon Paul Robertson -
Congregational Profile: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Grove City, OH: How it began in one parish
In 2016, prompted by Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si,” we at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Grove City, Ohio, held two 8-week sessions of discussions on the encyclical and at the end of the second session, our pastor, Fr. Daniel J. Millisor, appointed the discussion leader, Sister Nancy Miller, OSF as chairperson and called together a team to explore how the parish might lower our carbon footprint. The Creation Care Council (CCC) of our parish meets monthly for prayer, discussion and action in response to Laudato Si’s call for greater care for our common home.
We conducted a parish survey, with the intention of enhancing awareness among parishioners, as well as to determine if, and how, members were already incorporating recycling and composting into their daily lives. The results were highly, though not entirely, favorable. In addition to regularly inserting information and suggestions into our parish bulletins, taking the CCC members to tour a landfill, recycling plant, and the OSU Byrd Polar Research Center, we requested that all committees at the parish look at ways to reduce or eliminate their use of Styrofoam dinnerware. Rather than condemn polluters, we wrote thank you notes to businesses that showed environmental stewardship. We began annually purchasing and giving away seedling trees to plant on Earth Day. We took on trying to improve parish recycling efforts – providing new recycling containers for all parish offices, inviting a local official – an environmental expert – to explain to us what is and is not recyclable, preparing an interactive recycling quiz at the parish festival, and then attempting to bring recycling to the parish picnic and festival.
The efforts to incorporate recycling in parish events “failed” the first year, but we got it right the second year and this (the third) year, we successfully introduced food waste composting to Lenten Parish Fish Fry dinners, the Parish Picnic, and our largest parish event of the year: the Parish Festival. The 2019 Parish Festival served an estimated 5,000 meals, working with food vendors to increase their ability to serve compostable dishware and cutlery. In total, the CCC was able to divert 2,704 gallons of waste from the local landfill, which constituted 86% of all waste at the Festival.
We also exceeded all expectations in soliciting nearly 100 volunteers to help teach and monitor correct depositing of these materials - without tapping the usual volunteer corps that was still needed to keep the regular parts of the festival going. With the support of our pastor and dedicated CCC members, we’ve come a long way, and still feel like we have only just begun!
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Creation Care t-shirt designed by the Creation Care Council of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH)
These t-shirts with a quote from Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si' were created for members of the Creation Care Council of OLPH to wear at creation care events sponsored by their church. -
Group Profile: St Joseph Montessori School Laudato Si' Club and Honey Bee Project
A group of St Joseph Montessori School students were inspired by Pope Francis’ letter to the world called Laudato Si. In his letter, the Pope called for every person on the planet to live more simply, in harmony with nature, to care for each other and our common home. In other words, the Pope wants us to "bee-have" better towards our environment.
St Joseph Montessori students formed an Environmental Club called Laudato Si'. The club spent time researching Honey Bees, bee colony collapse, and the importance of bees. They decided they must do something. Students applied for grants, presented plans for two bee hives, an enclosure around the hives, and a pollinator garden to the school and Sacred Heart parish leadership. They required permissions to use school and church property for the bee hives. They even submitted plans to the local government, for approval.
They met with a bee-keeper to get some advice on building the hives. Throughout the winter months, they developed materials to share with the younger grade levels and during our Earth Day Celebrations on April 18, they presented to small groups within the school on bees and how they help the environment. The students passed out information flyers, along with wildflower seeds, to the surrounding homes explaining the bee hives and the importance of not treating their lawns with chemicals.
The Laudato Si Club evaluated the campus and identified an area where the bees would be able to co-exist with their surroundings but not interfere with the students and community. The area gets ample sunlight which will allow the bees to survive Ohio Winters. It is also elevated with a building nearby; this created a flight path for the bees that force them away from the playground and high foot traffic areas. It is also near an area of the school that has garden and flower beds that have been converted into pollinator gardens.
Now they manage two active hives of honey bees (St. Ambrose hive and St. Abigail hive) and a small pollinator garden, named after St. Kateri. We hope to have healthy bees -- and maybe some honey -- for years to come.
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Congregational Profile: St Francis of Assisi parish Creation Care Team, Columbus, OH
When St. Francis of Assisi’s Creation Care Team volunteered to take responsibility for caring for the church’s flower and vegetable gardens in the summer of 2018 it faced a challenge: how to dispose of yard waste in a responsible manner. The parish did not have resources to hire a vendor to appropriately dispose of leaves and garden debris and hauling it away in our private cars while possible would take extra time. The Team members did know though that we did not want to continue to toss the yard waste in the trash, which is what had previously been done.
Luckily a solution was at hand: a new member of our parish and our Creation Care Team—Todd Marti-- serves as one of the “garden stewards” at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church’s community garden at Mill Run. Todd volunteered to haul away the yard waste from St. Francis and add it to the compost bins at the community garden. So St. Francis’ yard waste helps grow food that when harvested feeds hungry families through Neighbors (SON) Ministries’ Hilliard Free Lunch Summer Camp for Kids program, the Hilltop, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, and through Faith Mission-- a win for all involved.