Laudato Si' and Care for Creation Committee
Prophecy, Prayer, Participation
Join us for discussion and action at our first STM Care for Creation meeting of 2019 on Thursday, January 17, 7 pm, in the Parish Center. We look at ways of dealing with the challenges of climate change and ways of reducing our carbon footprint at home, work, and in our communities. Questions? Please contact Lorraine: 651-644-3315.
"Laudato si’ is not a document…Laudato si’ is a prayer, Praise be to God”: so said Pope Francis' representative at the Climate Action Summit in California, Sept. 2018 Augusto Zampini spoke of the "prophetic nature" of the document with its call to rethink “how we produce, how we trade, how and what we buy, what we consume and what we waste.” He said that the Vatican was a “tiny part of the church” and "...needed the full support of all of you, of all your congregations and of all your institutions, schools, parishes..."
The Care for Creation Committee aims to:
- Provide information about climate change and to foster activities that reduce its negative effects.
- At the parish level we try to highlight practical steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint and to foster hope and forward movement.
- We try to keep up with policy proposals at the local, state, and national levels so that our community can be part of a moral/spiritual voice on issues such as alternative energy sources, oil pipelines, and renewable energy standards.
- Increase awareness of moral and faith issues related to environmental issues, as outlined in Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis’s encyclical on environmental stewardship.
- Encourage individuals and households to do what they can to promote sustainable living.
- Work toward healing environmental injustices that often hurt poor and marginalized people the most.
- Pick up a brochure "On Care for Our Common Home" from the church's community corner
- Please share any suggestions you may have to help develop this series to: Care for Creation Ministry of STM.
Past activities of our ministry have included:
- Conducting energy audits of St. Thomas More facilities, including both church and school buildings, with an eye toward improving energy efficiency as possible.
- Holding a public prayer circle to celebrate the release of Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.
- Sponsoring a panel discussion with University of St. Thomas theology students on Laudato Si.
All parishioners are welcome to participate in our Care for Creation Committee! Meetings are held approximately every other month in church or school facilities. Watch the STM bulletin and website for announcements. For more information, contact Lorraine,Committee Chair: 651-644-3315 or Brian Hefer in the Parish Office: 651-227-7669 x 311.