From the Founder: A month of changes  

Dear Friend,

Happy belated Feast of St. Francis! October is a month of natural beauty, and of changes. Birds begin their southern migration, green leaves transform into fiery reds and oranges, and temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere start to dip. 

Change is coming to Catholic Climate Covenant as well. This month, I shifted my role with the Covenant from Executive Director to Founder. I am not going anywhere and will still contribute to our mission by focusing on new strategic initiatives, while Jose Aguto, our former Associate Director, steps into the role of Executive Director. I know the Covenant will be in good hands under Jose’s inspiring leadership.  

I’m proud of where the Covenant is today with such a gifted staff and growing profile. After 15 years at the helm of the Covenant, I still awaken each day excited to tackle this life-saving work. It’s been my honor to work with committed Catholics to provide care for God’s Creation. But my work is not done, and neither is yours.  

In fact, this is a critical time to make our voices heard.  

The reconciliation package that Congress is considering provides unprecedented opportunities to address root causes of the climate crisis and environmental degradation, while providing people in low-income and disproportionately impacted communities with ways to participate in those solutions. Please consider lending your voice by signing up for this month’s action item. You can find out more about all our action items below 

In gratitude,

Dan

Dan Misleh         
Founder      
Catholic Climate Covenant

 

Catholic Climate Covenant Updates 

Action of the Month: Contact Congress about the reconciliation bill!   

Please send a message today to your congressional representative and your two senators asking that they take ambitious action to the combat the climate crisis by supporting measures in the reconciliation package that will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, spur our nation to a clean energy future, and provide climate resilience and job opportunities to peoples and communities most impacted by the climate crisis.  

Now is the time for your senators and representatives to hear of your support, grounded in the calls of our Catholic faith. Though the path of the reconciliation package has obstacles, your support for climate action and environmental justice will resound and elevate that which we hold dear for our children, the generations to come, and all of God's creation. SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO CONGRESS  

CATHOLIC CLIMATE COVENANT UPDATES:

New Executive Director Announced 

Jose Aguto, Catholic Climate Covenants Associate Director since March 2017, was announced as the organization’s new Executive Director on September 29th. Jose will help expand the Covenant’s mission of bringing to life the U.S. Catholic Church’s response to care for God’s creation and each other, especially those most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.  

I feel blessed and honored to help lead the Covenant into this new chapter, where we know the work ahead of us to protect our shared home and future has never been more critical. We hold our faith front and center in cultivating a spirit within our programs and partnerships that will bring us together and help bridge differences within our nation and in our Church,” Jose said. Read the full announcement here. 

Grants priority deadline is this month 

The priority deadline is approaching, have you applied for a grant yet? The Victory Noll Sisters Small Grants Program is a fund of more than $100,000 that offers small grants of up to $1,000 to U.S. groups to seed sustainability and climate justice projects inspired by Laudato Si’. If you are a Catholic parish, diocese, school, religious community or other Catholic organization, in the United States, you are eligible! The priority deadline to apply is October 14th, 2021. (If funding remains thereafter, grants will be awarded on a rolling basis until the funds are exhausted.) 

The types of activities that could be funded are: service projects, advocacy and dialogue with church and political leaders, participating in any of the Laudato Si Action Platform goals, retreats, workshops and advocacy. This list is certainly not exhaustive. If you are planning an activity not listed, feel free to apply and we will consider. Apply today as one of your first new projects:  Apply here. 

WATCH: How YOU can participate in the Laudato Si Action Platform  

Are you or your community wondering about the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform: What is it? When does it get started? How do we participate? We have heard your questions and we are answering them. In September, the Covenant hosted a virtual presentation on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform with the U.S. leads for Parishes and Dioceses, Religious Orders, and Colleges and Universities. These experts answered questions, walked viewers through the latest information on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform launch, and taught how communities can get started on a seven-year journey to sustainability. You can watch this informative seminar here.

Sign the U.S. Catholic Petition for Climate Action 

If you haven’t already, please consider joining your voice with thousands of American Catholics in signing our climate action petition, a faith-filled appeal to President Biden and Congress to work beyond partisanship and create climate solutions to care for our common home. Please encourage your bishop, priest, or other church leaders to sign the related Climate Action Letter for Catholic Institutions. You can watch a recording of theSeason of Creation Training: How to Engage Our Church Leaders for Climate Actionwith slides and handouts if you need help asking your church leaders to sign.   

Download the 2021 Feast of St. Francis Program

The 2021 program “Eco-Conversion: Called to Tend to a Flourishing Garden of Life" contains prayers, readings, reflection/discussion questions, a short video, and suggested activities. It can be used any time of the year that is right for your home or group! This year’s program focuses on the call for "Eco-conversion" that is central in the Vatican's Laudato Si' Action Platform (LSAP), and is designed to assist you and your community discern how to engage with the LSAP. The program contains prayers, readings, reflection/discussion questions, a short video, and suggested activities.

More Creation Care News

Creation Care News from the Vatican

It’s been a busy month for Pope Francis, as he continues his prophetic ministry to protect our planet. Just yesterday the Vatican helped organize a pre-COP26 climate event in the hopes of raising the stakes in Glasgow next month. World leaders from 20 countries, including Pope Francis, gathered and signed a joint urgent climate appeal and handed it to representatives of the U.N. gathering known as COP26 in Glasgow.

"We have inherited a garden: we must not leave a desert to our children," the faith leaders wrote.

And On September 1, the Holy Father issued a joint message with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who leads the Anglican Communion. “Caring for God’s creation is a spiritual commission requiring a response of commitment,” the message reads. “This is a critical moment. Our children’s future and the future of our common home depend on it.”  

Likewise, more than 50 prominent religious leaders from the United Kingdom, including a number of Catholics, have signed  the Glasgow Multifaith Declaration. The declaration is directed at political leaders who will attend the U.N. Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in early November.    

"To offer hope in the world," the leaders said, "we need to have confidence that those in power understand the vital role they have to play at the Glasgow COP26."  

According to National Catholic Reporter, the signatories include Scottish Bishop Brian McGee of Argyll and the Isles; Notre Dame Sister Isabel Smyth; and Bishop John Arnold of Salford, lead bishop for the environment for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.  

Meanwhile, the Pope’s Prayer Intentions in September focused on environmentally sustainable lifestyles. “Let us reflect on how the ways in which we eat, consume, travel, or the ways we use water, energy and plastics and many other material goods, is often harmful to the Earth,” Pope Francis prayed. “Let us choose to change! Let us advance with young people toward lifestyles that are simpler and more respectful of the environment.” Watch the whole video here.  

The Pope spoke again about the environment later in September when he sent a video message to 400 young people from 197 countries participating in a three-day Youth4Climate meeting in Milan, Italy. According to Vatican News, the Pope told the meeting’s participants that technical and political solutions are not enough to save the planet. “There must be harmony between people, men and women, and the environment. We are not enemies, we are not indifferent. We are part of this cosmic harmony,” the Pope said.  

Watch: Young Catholics in Oklahoma on why they care for Creation  

Pope Francis has repeatedly said that young Catholics will lead the way on combating climate change. That’s certainly true in Oklahoma, where ThuLan Pham, Olivia Dailey, Dolly Na Yameh and Father Jim Chamberlain of St. Joseph Catholic Church produced an amazing 12-minute video explaining how their Catholic faith inspires them to take on the responsibilities of Laudato Si. “With environmental concerns, there’s a time constraint, says ThuLan Pham in the video, “we have to start working as fast as possible.” Amen!  

Electric Vehicle in your future? 

Speaking of Pope Francis, did you know he is in line to get one of the first electric vehicles from California-based electric car startup Fisker next year? Yep. The Holy Father will trade in his popemobile for a new model running entirely on battery power. And the Biden Administration said in August that it wants more people to get one. (An electric vehicle, not a Popemobile :) President Biden signed an Executive Order that sets a new target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.  

Global Synodal Process to Begin 

The Pope has also convened a churchwide synod on the themes of communion, participation and mission. The multi-year process will begin in Rome on October 9th, and on October 17th in dioceses around the world. The Pope is asking bishops to solicit input from their parishioners on those themes ahead of a 2023 General Assembly. You can read the preparatory documents here.    

One more thing...  

While Season of Creation 2021 comes to a close this week, we are left with the prayers and actions of ecological love and care for God’s creation that this season has given us. We hope you downloaded and put to good use our 2021 Feast of St. Francis Program, which can be used any time of the year, and next month Catholics around the world will look to begin our official journey with the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform – a seven-year journey we look forward to taking with you! 

Meanwhile, join Catholic Climate Covenant and the world as we join in the 40 days of prayer ahead of the launch of the Platform

Catholic Climate Covenant provides all its programs and resources free of charge. We rely on the generosity of our supporters to  inspire and equip people and institutions to care for creation and care for the poor. Through our 19 national partners, we guide the U.S. Church's response to climate change by educating, giving public witness, and offering resources. Thank you for giving to care for creation and care for the poor.

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