Care for God's Creation
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Documents
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What is an ENCYCLICAL?
An encyclical is really a big deal when it comes to the Catholic faith. It is executed by the Pope to the whole body of churches to promote a very worthwhile unity or cooperation of Christians worldwide. On May 24, 2015, the Holy Father Francis wrote and released the Encyclical Letter Laudato si' on care for our common home. Read more below. -
Ways to Participate
Activities and reflections are a great way to get involved with this wonderful program. You can also download the Season of Creation Celebration Guide that has an ecumenical prayer service and more details about the 1010 theme - Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope.
Sunday, October 4 Mass (Feast of St. Francis), Guest Speaker, Deacon Glenn Skuta provided an overview of Pope Francis' Laudato Si encyclical. Videos of Deacon Skuta can be found on SJCCMN YouTube.
We need to continually care for our common home. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis have a Care for our Creation leadership team dedicated to assisting in this cause. If you are interested in joining their work, please email creation@arshspm.org.
Pope Francis - Encyclical Letters Regarding Creation:29 June 2013 Lumen fidei - The Light of Faith
24 May 2015 Laudato Si - Praise Be to You, My Lord
03 October 2020 Fratelli tutti - All Brothers -
Join US to pray for our world
See DOCUMENTS for the prayer service guide.
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Justfaith - sacred air: climate & Energy
Facilitated, Small Group Book Discussions
Wednesdays
April 19 through June 7, 2023
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Parish Center
St. Francis Fireplace Lounge
Cost: $45 for the Program and Book Set
REGISTER HERE
As part of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si and the nations ongoing concern about the earth, SJCC is offering 8 weeks of facilitated small group discussions using the JustFaith Eco-Justice Education Program. Care for creation is part of our Gospel call and an appropriate focus this time of year with Earth Day April 22.
- Session 1: Sacred Air, Sacred Breath
Lays a theological foundation for the program, allowing awareness and to celebrate God's Spirit.
- Session 2: Climate Change: Is It Even Real?
Introduction to basic science around climate change.
- Session 3: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy
Explores what fossil fuels are and the impact they have on our communities.
- Session 4: Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Footprint
Narrates the ways in which greenhouse gases lead to climate change and air pollution; explores the particular effect that air pollution has on marginalized communities.
- Session 5: Lament and Hope (Guest Speaker)
Guest speaker: reflection on the biblical tradition of lament and hope.
- Session 6: Environmental Justice
Explains what environmental justice is, why it is important, and how participants can join the movement.
- Session 7: Climate Communication
Explores strategies for prophetic and productive communication around this important (yet sometimes contentious) issue.
- Session 8: Climate Action
Guides participants in creating a plan of action to address the climate crisis as individuals and as a group."Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change ... ? All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development" (4). –Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace Message, January 2010. “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” Genesis 2:15 “Our care for one another and our care for the earth are intimately bound together. Climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community. The effects of climate change are borne by the most vulnerable people, whether at home or around the world.” USCCB Global Climate Change Background
JustFaith is a national organization that has a number of programs that prepare people of faith for the “life-changing and world-changing call of the Gospel to help heal the world.” The Sacred Air program explores the impact of the climate crisis on God’s creation and God’s people in a book club format using Pope Francis’ Laudato Si and book by MN-born author Hope Jahren. Topics include greenhouse gases, air pollution, fossil fuels, renewable energy, the Paris Agreement, and environmental racism.
Questions? Contact SJCC Peace and Justice Commission member,
Kate Schreck at kenowakowski@gmail.com. -
Earth Day in april - invest in our planet
Millions of people around the world celebrate Earth Day as a means to protect our planet and it’s resources. Pope Francis wrote an encyclical entitled
“Laudato Si'” On Care for our Common Home.
The encyclical draws its name from The Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis of Assisi.
It reminds us of our common home and that we must care for it.
Here are some ideas for families to put Earth Day into practice.
Clean up litter in your community
Learn about the Great Sunflower Project
Plant bee and Butterfly friendly flowers
Reduce the use of plastic bottles
Compost food scraps
Switch to paperless billing
Reduce electric use at home
Ride a bike instead of the car one day a week
Go on a nature walk with your children and pick of trash along the way -
message from archbishop hebda
August 13, 2020
Dear Brothers in Christ,
I hope you are well and taking good care of yourselves.
As we approach the month of September, I invite you to prayerfully consider the words
of Holy Father Pope Francis:
Everything is interconnected, and... genuine carefor our own lives and our relationships
with nature are inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.
Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ( 70)
Last year, Pope Francis officially invited Catholics from around the world to participate
in the " Season of Creation," an annual ecumenical effort "of increased prayer and effort on behalf of our common home." It begins on September 1st, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and continues through October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis, and is already widely embraced by Christians worldwide. As the Holy Father said, "this is the season for letting our prayer be inspired anew," a season "to reflect on our lifestyles," and a season" for undertaking prophetic actions ... calling for courageous decisions ... directing the planet towards life, not death."
The theme this year is the Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope, paying
particular attention to how changes in our environment affect the most vulnerable. Pope Francis'message, which calls us to attend to the " immense hardship for the most vulnerable among us," is particularly relevant in the light of the coronavirus pandemic. As the world experiences deep uncertainty and suffering in the midst of a global emergency, we are called to recognize that a truly healthy recovery means seeing that " everything is connected" and repairing the bonds we have broken. We realize that we need to grow in solidarity and take care of one another in fraternity.
This year's Season of Creation celebration provides us an opportunity to gather together
and restore our connections to one another and all of God' s creation. I encourage you to celebrate in some way the Season of Creation in your parish communities through " care for creation" prayers at Mass or in your bulletins, outdoor gatherings, or other actions inspired by the Holy Spirit. While we realize that the " Season of Creation" is almost upon us, we invite you to reach out to our newly formed Archdiocesan Care for Creation team for ideas and support for Care for Creation efforts. You can contact the Care for Creation team by emailing creation@archspm.org.
Fraternally yours in Christ,
Reverend Bernard A. Hebda
