Archdiocese of Cincinnati | Catholic Social Action Office

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St. Francis Pledge Newsletter
Winter 2021
a newsletter from the Care for Creation Task Force
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Winter is here!
We hope this newsletter finds you safe, enjoying the end of fall, and looking forward to the season of rest that is winter. Praise God for this annual time of slowing down, letting die that which needs to die, and preparing for the next year of life.
Last month, we had the chance to recognize two groups for becoming Laudato Si' Communities. We offer sincere gratitude to Bayley Senior Care (a ministry of the Sisters of Charity) and the Sisters of Divine Providence in Melbourne, KY for their ongoing commitment to caring for God's creation.
We wish a wonderful winter full of crisp air, clear skies, and continued work to care for all of God's creation.
Pace e bene,
Archdiocesan Care for Creation Task Force
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HB 6 (and it's various components) continues to be dismantled, piece by piece. Just recently the subsidies for most of the coal plants were removed. Unfortunately, there has been no reinstatement of the environmental protections that were removed. Check out a more detailed run down of the components of the bill and what you can do.
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FROM OUR FRIENDS AT EarthConnection
On December 16, EarthConnection is offering a session on Living Laudato Si. It is free to attend but requires registration. Click to register for the 1:00pm session or the 7:00pm session.
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LAUDATO SI 7-YEAR PLATFORM
We are planning on holding information sessions on the Laudato Si' Action Platform and how our Archdiocese will be implementing the different goals across the different sectors. We don't have a hard date set yet, but please be on the look out for an invitation for events to be held the week of February 14-18.
Here's a brief article giving a bit more information on the new platform.
In May of this year the Vatican launched the 7-year Laudato Si’ Action Platform (laudatosiactionplatform.org). This initiative’s aim is to have every Catholic institution, from the family to large organizations, become ecologically sustainable in seven years. Pope Francis’ goal is “to help lead the world’s Catholics along a journey of intensified action in caring for creation.” In his video message on May 24th, Pope Francis stated that “We need a new ecological approach that can transform our way of dwelling in the world, our styles of life, our relationship with the resources of the Earth and, in general, our way of looking at humanity and of living life.”
“Our selfishness, our indifference and our irresponsible ways are threatening the future of our children…I therefore renew my appeal: let us overcome the temptation of selfishness that makes us predators of resources; let us cultivate respect for the gifts of the Earth and creation, let us inaugurate a lifestyle and a society that is finally eco-sustainable,” said Francis in his video address.
In his encyclical Laudato Si’, published five years ago, Pope Francis identified the ecological crisis as “a summons to profound interior conversion; a reexamining of our relationships with the Creator, with creation, and with our sisters and brothers.” He also noted that “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue…and calls for a spiritual and cultural revolution to realize integral ecology.”
The Laudato Si’ Action Platform focuses on seven sectors: families, parishes, schools, hospitals, businesses, organizations, and religious orders. It has seven goals: the response to the cry of the earth, the response to the cry of the poor, ecological economics, adoption of simple lifestyles, ecological education, ecological spirituality, and community involvement. More specific steps about how the various sectors can become active participants in working towards the action plan goals are available at www.catholicclimatecovenant.org.

“There is hope,” Pope Francis says. “We can all collaborate, each one with his own culture and experience, each one with her own initiatives and capacities, so that our mother Earth may be restored to her original beauty and creation may once again shine according to God’s plan.”
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Helpful Hints
If you're looking for some practical ways to make an impact right now, check out these ideas!
Nations reached their climate agreements at COP 26 and now it’s up to us to continue to act and to advocate for the earth. Some actions we can take: cut back on the gas guzzling. Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the U.S., accounting for about 28 percent of all GHG emissions. Questions to ask ourselves: Is this trip necessary? What about combining errands? Could that meeting happen over Zoom? Shall we carpool, walk, bike, or take public transit? Keeping in mind that how we drive can make our ride more fuel-efficient. We can save gas by accelerating and braking gradually, subduing our inner speed demon by keeping it at 50 miles per hour and using cruise control on long hauls. And we don’t want to be that person who leaves the car idling while chatting with neighbors, waiting for the train’s caboose, or idling in a school zone.
Servicing the car regularly can help keep it running efficiently. Simple things like checking and adjusting tire pressure and upgrading motor oil can increase fuel efficiency. Tending to a more serious problem, like a faulty oxygen sensor—which measures the composition of your car’s exhaust and helps calculate how much fuel to use—can improve mileage by as much as 40 percent. So be sure to tend to that check-engine light right away!
Another tip -- when packing cargo, using a hitch-mounted rack (the kind that attaches to the back of the car) instead of roof-top boxes makes the more aerodynamic, saving fuel, big time.
One key point: New cars generate anywhere from 6 to 35 tons of CO2 emissions during the manufacturing process, depending on the type of car and materials needed, which counteracts the fuel-efficient benefits of switching in the first place. That’s major, especially considering the average American’s carbon footprint is about 18 tCO2e per year. So while driving an electric car or a hybrid can help cut down on emissions in the long run, there’s no need to rush to upgrade to something new, no matter how shiny it is. The production of vehicles is actually hugely carbon intensive and may take away the gains from opting for an energy-efficient model. If you are buying a new car, look for a Smart Way certified vehicle—this government program run by the EPA certifies the lowest emitting cars each year.
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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 for our 2022 communities. Qualifying communities will be recognized around the feast of St. Francis (10/4). For more information, check out the website. If you have any questions, let us know.

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FROM OUR FRIENDS AT MEEC
On Tuesday, 12/21, the Marianist Environmental Education Center will be hosting a Winter Solstice Sunrise Celebration at 6:45am. Click here for more details.

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Laudato Si' Communities - Highlight
Each season, we're celebrating one of our recipients.
For this winter newsletter, we're focusing on Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, the fifth of our five 2020 honorees. For their project, they worked on regular education through their parish and school bulletins and increasing their use of natural and LED lighting. They also started recycling prescription medication bottles; implemented a policy to buy plant-based plates, cups, and napkins, and organized a monthly fair trade sale. They even hosted a family-friendly interactive event after mass to get everyone involved in the work.
Congrats to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish
on becoming a 2020 Laudato Si' Community!!
Check out the video they made highlighting their work!
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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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December
Bulletin Prayer
Creator God, during this Advent season of darkness and rest on the land, help us to remember in hope the coming of your Son Jesus who calls us to bring light and justice to all of creation.
Intercession
That our reflective living during this Advent season may demonstrate our care for the created world and those most in need as we discern how best to celebrate the coming of Christ this Christmas Season. We pray...
Papal Quote
Creation is the foundation of “all God’s saving plans,” the “beginning of the history of salvation” that culminates in Christ.
Catechism of the Catholic Church #280
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January
Bulletin Prayer
God of compassion, in this new year we come to renew our commitment to care for the earth and one another in Christ Jesus. Help us to be committed and prayerful Christians responding to your call to care for our common home and to address the injustices that threaten the lives of the most vulnerable among us.
Intercession
In gratitude for the gifts of the earth that sustain us and give us beauty. May we hear the cries of those who suffer from the harm inflicted on them by our abuse of creation and dare to follow Pope Francis’ call for ecological conversion in the coming year. We pray...
Papal Quote
So what they (committed and prayerful Christians) need is an “ecological conversion,” whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.
Laudato Si # 217
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February
Bulletin Prayer
Generous God, during this Lenten season may we enter more fully into prayer and fasting as we strive to overcome our indifferences and behaviors that cause harm to the earth and those most vulnerable to its degradation.
Intercession
That we may recognize that care for the earth is a common good through which we receive the Bread and Wine of Life. May we recognize earth as a blessing and make choices in lifestyle, production and consumption that model what it means to be a Eucharistic community assuring all receive from the fruits of the earth. We pray...
Papal Quote
The liturgy itself teaches us this, when, during the presentation of the gifts, the priest raises to God a prayer of blessing and petition over the bread and wine, “fruit of the earth,” “fruit of the vine” and “work of human hands.” With these words, the rite not only includes in our offering to God all human efforts and activity, but also leads us to see the world as God’s creation, which brings forth everything we need for sustenance. The world is not something indifferent, raw material to be used simply as we see fit. Rather it is part of God’s plan, in which we are called to be sons and daughters in the one Son of God. The justified concern about threats to the environment present in so many parts of the world is reinforced by Christian hope, which commits us to working responsibly for the protection of creation. Pope Benedict XVI Sacramentum Caritas #92
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