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Help Protect the Environment! April 12th, 2021
(Photo courtesy of Nareeta Martin, Unsplash)
Reducing consumption, reusing items and recycling whenever possible reduces air and water pollution, keeps landfills from filling up so quickly and saves energy and money for both consumers and governments that have to deal with trash. This is a great way to deal with climate change. Our new brochure offers tips on ways you can reduce, reuse and recycle as individuals and in your communities.
Download the brochure to share online
Download the brochure to print
Webinar: “No ecology without proper anthropology” March 23rd, 2021
- Register at this link: bit.ly/393aYPI
Laudato Si’@ 5: Reflect, Pray & Take Action, May 16-24, 2020 May 15th, 2020
Photo courtesy of stokpic, Pixabay
Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home was released at the end of May 2015. Missionary Oblates JPIC joined Catholics in welcoming Laudato Si’ and have since worked to integrate the themes into our justice and peace work. As we observe the encyclical’s five-year anniversary, we invite you to join us as we reflect on a few of the encyclical’s themes.
The ecological crisis, Pope Francis wrote, is a summons to profound interior conversion—to renew our relationships with God, one another, and the created world – The lessons of the global financial crisis have not been assimilated, and we are learning all too slowly the lessons of environmental deterioration. (#109)
Laudato Si’: Poor and Vulnerable
“The poorest areas and countries are less capable of adopting new models for reducing environmental impact because they lack the wherewithal to develop the necessary processes and to cover their costs. We must continue to be aware that, regarding climate change, there are differentiated responsibilities” (#52)
- How does preferential option for the poor and vulnerable call us to respond to Laudato Si’?
Laudato Si’: Global Solidarity
“Interdependence obliges us to think of one world with a common plan…A global consensus is essential for confronting the deeper problems, which cannot be resolved by unilateral actions on the part of individual countries. Such a consensus could lead, for example, to planning a sustainable and diversified agriculture, developing renewable and less polluting forms of energy, encouraging a more efficient use of energy, promoting a better management of marine and forest resources, and ensuring universal access to drinking water.” (#164)
- How do you express solidarity with people in your community and around the world?
Laudato Si’: Common Good
“The notion of the common good also extends to future generations. The global economic crises have made painfully obvious the detrimental effects of disregarding our common destiny, which cannot exclude those who come after us. We can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from intergenerational solidarity” (#159)
- With Whom are you called to dialogue about future of the common home? Pope Francis calls for dialogue that include everyone. Who should be included?
Find more ways here on how you can Reflect, Pray and Take Action to Celebrate the 5th anniversary of Laudato Si’.
- Vatican Laudato Si Week page: https://laudatosiweek.org/
- Activities, prayers and resources from Catholic Climate Covenant and partners:
- Archdiocese of Chicago will each day host a virtual presentation on Zoom that focuses on different facets of caring for our common home:
- Watch the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ roundtable conversation as part of #LaudatoSiWeek2020! On May 20th head to http://ow.ly/NLSv50zGqeC at 2pm ET to watch live!
- USCCB’s Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development has several new and updated bilingual resources.
- Join Franciscan Action Network on Tuesday, May 19th Laudato Si’ for a webinar in celebration of the 5th anniversary of the encyclical’s release. Register to join the Zoom webinar, however it will be streamed live on their Facebook page
Learn about the Environmental Work of Oblates Around the World July 5th, 2017
Learn about the environmental work of Oblates around the world.
2017 World Environment Day: “Connecting People to Nature” June 1st, 2017
“We are called to be instruments of God our Father, so that our planet might be what he desired when he created it and correspond with his plan for peace, beauty and fullness.”(Laudato Si, 53).
Every June 5th people around the world celebrate World Environment Day to raise awareness about environmental issues. The UN designated this day at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, with the first observance taking place in 1974 and annually since then.
Today people around the world spend this day engaging in projects to improve their communities, for example neighborhood clean-ups, actions to protect wildlife, replanting trees, etc.
We also celebrate Pentecost a day before World Environment Day, on Sunday, June 4. Given this intersection, we invite you to explore Breath of Love, a very creative and rich new prayer/reflection resource from Sr. Gen Cassani, SSND. It includes a novena of prayers leading up to Pentecost (6/4), as well as quotes and reflections from Laudato Si’ and sacred scripture, plus ideas for commemorating World Environment Day (6/5).
As Sr. Gen has written, “you are invited to add to, create, have conversations, mull over, contemplate, delight in, question, probe, . . . ” – we simply say enjoy!
Click to download Breath of Love, a Pentecost and Environment resource compiled and designed by Sr. Gen Cassani, SSND.
