Catholics Leading the Way

Feast of St. Francis Program Coming Soon!
Each year the Covenant produces a 90-minute educational program for the Feast of St. Francis (Oct. 4^th.)  This year’s theme is “The Healing Power of Love in Action: Creation Care in a Time of Pandemic and Political Partisanship”. The program will explore how St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures speaks profoundly to the issues we face today, and help your community live out our call of love in action. 

The program will be available in early August, but you can pre-register and we will email you the program as soon as it is published. Though produced for the Feast of St. Francis, the program may be used whenever it best fits with your community’s schedule.

Covenant’s and Partners’ Work Featured in USCCB’s Laudato Si’ Overview

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has posted a comprehensive overview of the work of the Catholic community in responding to Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Included in this report are a number of Covenant-sponsored efforts as well as the efforts from many of the Covenant’s partners. Read it here.

Covenant’s July Webinar:
On Monday, June 29^th, Catholic Climate Covenant hosted “Breathing in a Time of Crises”, our monthly webinar that responded to how we are living in a time of multiple crises, each one calling us to take urgent action. We are being called to confront racism, a global pandemic, climate change, and the plight of detained immigrants. 

Sr. Joan Brown, OSF, executive director of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, explored how these multiple crises are connected and how the words, “I can’t breathe” connect to our faith. She lifted up the haunting words of George Floyd and helped weave the multiple “I can’t breathe” moments of immigrants, Covid-19 patients, wildfires, pollution….and the life-giving breath of Pentecost.

Sr. Kathleen Kaelin, OSU, faculty at the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center, explored how the tools of meditation and compassion drawn from our faith tradition guide us in responding appropriately and in constructive ways, so that all beings in our common home may flourish. She offered a short guided meditation focused on breathing.  

To view a recording of the webinar go here: Breathing in a Time of Crises

Five Themes from Laudato Si’ Highlighted in the News
The National Catholic Reporter on June 12^th published Laudato Si' five years out: five themes from a scholarly review of its impact, a commentary written by Jason King, who is a professor of theology at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and editor of the Journal of Moral Theology. He highlighted five central themes in the Journal of Moral Theology’s collection of articles from the first Laudato Si’ conference at Creighton University, which were curated and edited by Dan DiLeo, an assistant professor at Creighton, and a consultant with the Covenant. The themes to look for are:

1. There is still resistance: “The director of the Nebraska State Climate Office, Martha Shulski, bemoans the fact that, even though climate change is an accepted reality for scientists, it is "a 'debated' political issue." 

2. Work is being done in society: “In contrast to the inaction of the federal government, (USCCB’s Meghan) Goodwin notes how local activists are addressing climate change.”

3. Work is being done in the church: “The Catholic Energies program from Catholic Climate Covenant identifies, implements and pays for renewable and efficient energy projects for Catholic organizations.”

4. Work comes from many corners of the church: “This collection of essays reflects several of those corners: Biviano is an academic. Siemen is a civil attorney and a Dominican sister. Hendrickson is a college administrator and a Jesuit. Martha Shulski works for the state government, and Meghan Goodwin lobbies the federal government.”

5. Environmental care is part of the Gospel: “Laudato Si' is bound up with "the Church's commitments to protect human life and dignity, exercise a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, and promote the common good."

Faith Climate Leaders Speak Out on Racial Injustice
Across America, individuals and communities are wrestling with issues of systemic racism, reporter Brian Roewe wrote in NCR’s Earth Beat, a collection of thoughts on the subject from faith leaders.

From Covenant’s executive director Dan Misleh: “When we work for care for creation, we appeal to a wholistic and expansive definition," he wrote. "It is about caring for this beautiful planet and its ecosystems that sustain all life. We believe that this is a moral responsibility, not simply a nice thing to do because God called us to be co-creators and to ensure that all are afforded clean and healthy air and that the future of our children is secure. George Floyd’s cry 'I can’t breathe' should never be heard again: neither because of racists actions nor because of unhealthy air, water and land.”
 

Read more thoughts from other leaders here: EarthBeat Weekly: Faith climate leaders speak out on racial injustice

Hope for Creation
We are extending the Hope for Creation initiative through the Laudato Si’ Year. We invite you and members of your CCT and parish, school and religious community to submit prayers, meditations, stories, essays, statements, reflections, art, poems, songs, photos, videos, etc. that lift up your love and hope for God’s creation!  Student submissions are especially welcome! Check out the submitted work here.