Laudato Si’ Week (May 22-28) and Vatican’s new Laudato Si’ Action Plan

By Carissa Krautscheid 
 
Seven years ago on May 24th, Pope Francis shared his first encyclical letter with the world, Laudato Si’ - On Care for Our Common Home - addressing a need that is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore: the fragility of our earth and the urgent need to better care for it and for all who depend on it. In some circles, the environment has been a politically divisive topic. But for Catholics, care for the environment just makes sense. Our own Creator God called us to “cultivate and care” for His creation with the same selfless love and dedication with which He created us. Our choices and actions have an impact. We are at the turning point where we must each decide if we have the courage to take up the great commission of caring for our common home, or if we will sit idle on the sidelines while watching our own actions compound into chaos. 
 
Since its May 24, 2015 release, Catholics throughout the world have been celebrating Pope Francis’ encyclical during “Laudato Si’ Week” to spread its message and inspire efforts to heed its call. While this is indeed a big task, we know that nothing is impossible with God. Luckily as Catholics, we integrate prayer into the development of small habits that will gradually become the change that is desperately needed in our common home. Be not afraid: you are not alone on this journey! Many individuals and organizations are taking up the banner beside you and offering a helping hand to set you on the path towards sustainability as well. 
 
The Laudato Si' Action Plan was developed by the Vatican as a global yet grassroots initiative in collaboration with both organizations and individuals to build momentum during a seven-year period. Dioceses, parishes, schools, organizations, families, or individuals can enroll to make a commitment to take small, gradual steps guided by seven Laudato Si’ Goals. Participants are invited to join the Laudato Si’ Action Platform to receive information, support and guidance as they define a plan that fits their own values, circumstances, personal goals, and timeline.  
  
For those of us in the U.S., the Catholic Climate Covenant has been asked by the Vatican to be the U.S Coordinator of the Laudato Si’ Action Plan. The Catholic Climate Covenant was formed by the USCCB in 2006. "We are grounded in the Church's deep history of teaching on creation, ecology, and the poor. Caring for creation and caring for the poor have been a part of the Catholic story since the beginning, but in recent years St. John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and especially Pope Francis have added a sense of urgency to their call for Catholics to act on climate change. The U.S. Bishops themselves having been calling for action since 1981."  
 
To link to the Vatican’s Action Plan, the Catholic Climate Covenant has established: We Are All Part of God’s Plan(et), an “awareness and engagement campaign to educate and inspire U.S. Catholics to more fully embrace and act upon the teachings of Laudato Si’.” The Catholic Climate Covenant works with parish “Creation Care Teams” who have registered with the Covenant and trains “Catholic Climate Ambassadors” to spread the message about our faith’s call to care for God’s creation.  
 
In the Diocese of Tucson, we have both a registered Creation Care Team (at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish) and a trained Catholic Climate Ambassador (retired professor Katie Hirschboeck). Katie co-founded the OMOS Creation team in 2008 with Hank Krzysik, who is now a deacon. Both Deacon Hank and Climate Ambassador Katie are willing to be Diocesan resource persons for Creation Care Teams and those interested in the Laudato Si' Action Platform. For more information, please email Katie at AZLaudatoSi@gmail.com. 
 
Together with God, we can and will restore the beauty of creation so that we can joyfully return to God the abundant gifts He first gave us. 
 

To celebrate Laudato Si’ Week, you are invited to join Our Mother of Sorrows Parish to pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Laudato Si’ Rosary, followed by Benediction on Tuesday May 24th at 6pm at OMOS’ Church, 1800 S Kolb Road. Benediction to follow.