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Laudato Si’ Week is May 21 to 28 May 19th, 2023
Act to Make a Difference
Beginning on Sunday, May 21, Laudato Si’ Week is an annual observance to celebrate the anniversary of Pope Francis’ papal encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home.” This year’s theme is “Hope for the Earth. Hope for humanity.” Communities are encouraged to respond to the call of Pope Francis through reflection, prayer and action.
To learn more visit this website: laudatosiweek.org
Learn more about Oblate ecological initiatives at La Vista Ecological Learning Center – https://www.lavistaelc.org/ – which offers programs and resources for living consciously.
The Oblates have joined Catholics worldwide in making a congregational commitment to Laudato Si. Click here to view our commitments.
Organized by their GreenTeam, Sacred Heart Parish in Oakland, CA Joined the local Pax Christi & neighboring parishes for an Earth Day clean up. Read the story here.
View part II of OMI JPIC’s Laudato Si Action Platform and watch the video: we revisit the commitments we have taken on and ponder what other action steps we might add.
Earth Day 2018: End Plastic Pollution April 16th, 2018
“Bring the whole human family together . . . for we know that things can change.”
(Laudato Si’, 13)
International Mother Earth Day or Earth Day, first observed in 1970 is the largest secular observance in the world. According to the United Nations, this observance ‘recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.’
This year’s theme, End Plastic Pollution, is to raise awareness about the exponential growth of plastics now threatening the survival of our planet and to get people involved in this effort.
All week you can find Climate Action activities by visiting the Faith Climate Action Week website.
Want to learn more about plastic waste? Read this article: Where does your plastic waste go?
Watch a video by the Catholic Climate Covenant Reducing Plastic Waste and Moving Beyond a Throwaway Culture
TAKE ACTION
Take personal responsibility to end Plastic Pollution
Read more about the issue and find more resources at these links:
Catholic Climate Covenant
UN International Mother Earth Day 22 April
Earth Day Network
Catholic Health Association
Earth Day Reflection
Ours is a planet filled with wonder. It was only a few decades ago that for the first time in history, thanks to groundbreaking advances in technology, humans were able to view planet earth from space. In the eighties a spacecraft called Voyager captured an image of our solar system from 11,100,000,000 miles away, depicting it as a tiny grain of sand so tiny it was barely detectable. Yet there it was, that planet we call home, not only beautiful but filled with wonder, a home that provides all we need to live: oxygen, water, food, etc.
Looking at these images it is hard not to be moved with admiration, respect and amazement. It should make us feel privileged to inhabit this earthly place given to us by God. We now know there are not only trillions of planets in the universe but trillions of galaxies out there. Yet, as far as we know, not even one other is brimming with life like ours. This makes our home Mother Earth and us very unique and special.
What should our response be to such a gift from God, such a blessing? How are we to treat and care for our common home, for one another, and all living things that share this space? What comes to mind when we reflect on these questions? This: have we been mindful and grateful enough for the blessing of this beautiful home? On Earth Day 2018 let us experience, enjoy and thank God for Creation.
December Action Alert – Let’s Avoid Another Meltdown! December 3rd, 2009
Take Action to Protect People and the Planet
– Support Creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency
– Join the Call for Derivatives Reform
– Ring Your Church Bells – Send a Message to Copenhagen!
Learn more and take action – click here for our December Action Alert
Faith Groups Raise Climate Change Concerns with Senate November 12th, 2009
Sen. Schumer listened to climate activists Rajyashri Waghray (CWS), Christina Herman (Oblate Justice, Peace/Integrity of Creation), Esmeralda Brown, (UMC) after they delivered Countdown to Copenhagen postcards to his legislative aide.
The Oblate JPIC Office joined other faith groups and denominations on November 4th, in sponsoring a climate vigil focused on the justice dimensions of climate change.
The Climate Vigil, followed by Senate visits, was organized by Church World Service, the National Council of Churches and United Methodist Women. Faith groups have been emphasizing the need to focus on the impacts of climate change on the poor, particularly those in developing countries, who are most affected yet who bear the least responsibility.
A Senate bill approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee would require industry to make a 20 percent cut from 2005 emissions levels for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 2020. The bill is expected to go to the Senate floor early next year.
The churches are also concerned that the US carry a strong position to rein in climate change when countries meet to set targets in Copenhagen in December. Church World Service has spearheaded a yearlong Countdown to Copenhagen sign-on campaign in the US. World leaders will try to agree on a plan in Copenhagen to extend the Kyoto Protocol climate change agreement. The United States has not yet signed on to the Kyoto Protocol, yet the pressure is on to take action soon. Scientists have recently predicted that inaction in reining in rising temperatures from global warming will result in huge economic and social costs, highlighting the need for all countries to shift away from carbon-intensive forms of energy production.
