Archdiocese of Cincinnati | Catholic Social Action Office
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St. Francis Pledge Newsletter
Spring 2021
a newsletter from the Care for Creation Task Force
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Spring is upon us!
We hope this newsletter finds you safe and having a meaningful Lenten journey. As we've (mostly) come through the peace and reflective time of winter, we thank God for the blessing of quiet and look forward to this time of rebirth and growth.
As you likely know, April 22 is Earth Day. Check out details below for information about our prayer service which will be held at 12:00pm on Thursday, 4/22 over Zoom.
We are actively seeking new Laudato Si' Communities. If your community (parish, school, etc.) is interested in endeavoring in this powerful process, please let us know.
We wish a wonderful end of your Lenten journey, a beautiful Easter, and an abundant spring.
ο»ΏPace e bene,
Archdiocesan Care for Creation Task Force
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Debate on the extremely controversial HB 6 (and it's various components) continue. There are two recent updates to share:
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SOLARIZE CINCY 2021
Sign up today to go solar and save money
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Helpful Hints
If you're looking for some practical ways to make an impact right now, check out these ideas!
Sign up for the free opt-out service at catalogchoice.org and get your name off the mailing lists for unwanted pieces of mail.
Use bar soap instead of purchasing soap in disposable plastic containers, or, use a refillable soap container with liquid soap.
Purchase furniture that has been made using sustainable methods and is certified by the forest stewardship council
Bring your own reusable bags whenever you go shopping.
Collect rainwater for your plants. Have a bucket sitting outside when it rains. When it fills up, use if for your plants.
ο»Ώ...and here's a special Lenten-related tip!
What's a simple way for the U.S. to each year save 100 billion gallons of water, 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, 70 million gallons of gas, 33 tons of antibiotics, 3 billion acres of land and prevent 1.2 million tons of CO 2 and 3 million tons of top soil erosion? If all the people in the U.S. joined our one day a week Lenten practice of abstaining from meat and continued it throughout the year, it could happen. Catholics and others with a desire to protect the earth can help spread the word.
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Laudato Si' Communities - Highlights
Each season, we're highlighting one of our 2020 recipients.
For this spring newsletter, we're focusing on St. Ursula Academy in East Walnut Hills. For their project, they have implemented a wonderful recycling and composting program in their cafeteria and have added additional gardening and education opportunities, including challenging the community to embrace the Ursuline identity to build a better world. If you'd like to see a video highlighting their great work, you can see it here.
Congrats to St. Ursula Academy on becoming a 2020 Laudato Si' Community!!
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Laudato Si' Communities - You can do it!
We want to recognize Catholic parishes and schools that live out Pope Francis' Laudato Si' message of caring for God's creation.
Qualifying parishes or schools will:
- Earn the title "Laudato Si' Community" at an annual recognition event; Receive an eco-friendly banner to display in or outside their building
- Be featured on the Archdiocesan website, Facebook page, and in other Archdiocesan media outlets and communications.
To earn this designation, parishes/schools should:
1. Complete a facilities assessment and meet a target score for environmental stewardship practices
2. Have 10 percent of its member-households complete their own household assessment
3. Host or provide a Care for Creation formation program to parishioners/students
We are accepting applications through May 1. Qualifying communities will be recognized on the anniversary of Laudato Si', June 18th. For more information, check out the website. If you have any questions, let us know.
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Earth Day Prayer Service
We invite you to join us for a virtual prayer service in honor of Earth Day. The program was designed by our good friends at the Catholic Climate Covenant and will last about one hour. The service will be held on Zoom (link details are below), and it will be recorded and shared on our Facebook page for those who cannot be attend live.
What: Earth Day prayer service
When: Thursday, April 22, 12:00pm EST
Where: Zoom link, Meeting ID: 969 1454 2593,Dial in: 312 626 6799
Who: All are welcome!
Why: Because we love the Earth and all of God's creation, and we must work and pray to protect it for these current and future generations
Additional Earth Day Resources
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The following items are provided by the Archdiocesan Care for Creation Task Force Prayer and Learning Teams for use where appropriate in parish liturgies and bulletins during the coming months. |
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March
Bulletin Prayer
Good and gracious God, grant us the grace we need to transform our lives and accept your invitation to bring our hearts and hands to our troubled world through our words and actions as individuals, but also, as a community of believers.
Intercession
For the courage and strength to bring healing and hope through our words and actions to each other and to all of creation, we pray to the Lord.
Papal Quote
Pope Francis calls us to an ecological conversion and tell us that βIt must be understood in an integral way, as a transformation of how we relate to our sisters and brothers, to other living beings, to creation in all its rich variety and to the Creator who is the origin and source of all life.β - Pope Francis, Message for 2020 World Day of Peace
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April
Bulletin Prayer
God of all creation, open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us from the tiniest ant to the tallest tree. Enable us to enter into the silence of nature and rest in Your Presence.
Intercession
Loving God, you who established beauty on Earth through the wonders of Creation, call us to radical action: to care for your Creation by sharing our resources justly and working for the renewal of our Mother, Earth we pray to the Lord.
Papal Quote
βThe aesthetic value of creation cannot be overlooked. Our very contact with nature has a deep restorative power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts peace and serenity. The Bible speaks again and again of the goodness and beauty of creation, which is called to glorify God.β - Pope John Paul II
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May
Bulletin Prayer
There is much darkness in our world today, Lord, but we know in our hearts that you are Light. Teach us to find you in the silence of our hearts and give us the strength and courage to be a source of light and hope in our world today.
Intercession
Creator God, look upon us with love and tenderness and open our hearts that we might become sources of light and hope; that we might let go of worry and fear and feast on our kinship in Christ with all Creation, we pray to the Lord.
Papal Quote
βToday, too, amidst so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope!β - Pope Francis
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Food Justice Seminar
Midwest Sustainability Summit
On May 12-14, 2021, Green Umbrella, Xavier University, and the City of Cincinnati will once again host this powerful event, bringing together experts from across the country to explore numerous ways we can work together to heal our world. For more information, click here.
New websites
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