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Winter - a time of rest
Greetings all. We hope this newsletter finds you well. Advent and a new Church year is here, and winter is upon us. We're both in a time of anticipation and a time of rest. As the plants and animals are entering a time of quiet and building up energy for the coming spring, we too can rest, take account of the year past, and prepare for the new year. We are so thankful for you and the work you've done in 2023 to honor God and take care of all of God's creation.
Hopefully you've had a chance to read Pope Francis' new apostolic exhortation, Laudato Deum. It builds very well on Laudato Si' and makes an even stronger plea for us all to hear the cries of the earth and the poor, take responsibility for our actions, and work
together to heal and protect the Earth and everything on it. You can read it here.
On Wednesday, Oct. 25, we celebrated the Feast of St. Francis, our new Laudato Si' Communities, and the new exhortation. We were so happy to welcome Mount Notre Dame High School and Xavier University as our 2023 Laudato Si' Communities. If your parish, school, or Catholic institution is interested in becoming a Laudato Si' Community, you can find the information here.
We wish you all a wonderful rest of Advent, a Merry Christmas, and a joyous start to 2024.
Pace e bene,
Archdiocesan Care for Creation Task Force
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Laudato Si' Action Plan
Sector Sessions
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Since our successful LSAP conference in the spring, we've been working on ways to build on the energy gathered and further our efforts to care for God's creation in our archdiocese. In it's structure, the LSAP names seven sectors where unique opportunities for partnership might exist, and we'd like to support the formation of networking groups in a few
of these areas: families of parishes, religious communities, and education (secondary and higher education). In the last couple of months, we held Zoom sessions where we gathered folks from each of these sectors and began planning for these groups.
If you are interested in exploring one (or more) of these groups, please contact Liliana Sierra. All are welcome!
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Farm BillEvery five years, the Farm Bill - massive legislation that supports farms, foreign aid, and food assistance - is reauthorized. It was up for reauthorization again this year, and - due to the continued troubles our Congress is having - they decided to pass a temporary extension of the current funding levels for an extra year. So, theoretically,
they will take this up again in the fall of '24.
In the meantime, we encourage people to utilize our Farm Bill web page which has a number of resources. You can watch a recording of a presentation we did this spring, download advocacy letters for representatives and senators, and more. Please keep reminding our members of Congress how important this bill is and encourage them to work for increased support for our farmers, our sisters and brothers around the world, and those who are struggling with food insecurity here in
our country.
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ADVOCATE TO HELP COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
Urge Congress to support the Green Climate Fund and Development Assistance.
Click here to submit your message
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COP28
The world just wound up it's annual event dealing with the effects of climate change. COP28, which took place in the UAE, concluded earlier this week, and the final agreement was a bit of a mixed bag. There was an agreement that all nations should and will transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy, but many activists see the deal as too weak and with too many loopholes. As always, there is a lot of ambiguity, but it does seem that this is a step in the right direction. What we do know is that our work at changing policy and large scale practices must persist. No amount of individual changes is going to move us off the path we're on. We must therefore continue to hold our elected leaders and the leaders of
industry accountable to the people, especially those developing nations who have done the least to contribute to the problems we face but are facing the most acute and severe consequences.
Here is a statement and resources from the USCCB, here is the press release from CRS, and here is the video from Pope Francis for the gathering.
You can read more about COP28 here, here, here, and here.
On Nov. 30, the Catholic Climate Covenant hosted a great webinar on the faith voice at COP28. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, you can check it out here.
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Community Partners
EarthConnection
Click here to view their catalogue of past webinars, and click here to learn about their upcoming events.
Marianist Environmental Education Center
Thursday, 12/21, 6:30am - Winter Solstice Sunrise Celebration
Faith Communities Go Green
Tuesday, 1/30/24, 7:00pm - Living with Plastics: Myths & Facts (register here)
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HELPFUL
HINTS
Eco-Tips
Eco Tips...Energy saving tips as the weather turns cold. Turn down the heat! Layer on the wool socks and heavy sweatshirts, and keep moving! Trudging through an especially cold afternoon? Bake something! Standing by the oven will warm us up. When the dish is done and the oven's turned off, leave the oven door open to warm the kitchen. Winter or summer: run the washer and dishwasher only when they're full. Instead of machine drying them, turn off the heat dry setting and leave the door open overnight to air dry dishes instead. For clothes, buy a drying rack or, if you have a yard or basement, hang a clothesline to dry your clothes. In the basement, hang items on hangers, then hang hangers on the line. This is especially useful for pants,
sweatshirts, sweaters, and other thicker items that use up all of the dryer's energy. But it works with everything. Wash clothing in cold water. Everybody wins!
More Eco-Tips
FOOD
EASY: Support farmers and reduce food-miles by buying local produce.
CHALLENGING: Commit to a "hunger meal" once a week. This might mean skipping the meal or eating only 1 item (like an apple or simple vegetable).
BUYING CLOTHES
EASY: When considering buying a new piece of clothing, evaluate whether you really need another "x". Count how many you already have.
CHALLENGING: If you decide the clothing item really is necessary, evaluate the material it is made out of. Prioritize natural fibers rather than synthetics or acrylics.
NATURE
EASY: Take a hike in the woods. Listen to the subtle sounds of nature. How many can you identify?
CHALLENGING: In addition to a hike in the woods, "hike" through the poorest neighborhood of your city/town. Listen to the sounds. Are they any different?
EDUCATE YOURSELF more on Laudato Si'
EASY: Read 2 of the 9 sub-chapters of Laudato Si' Chapter 6, (bit.ly/3pCSCjE) on Ecological Education & Spirituality. (Sections 202-245) Why were these 2 of special interest to you?
CHALLENGING: Read the other 7 sub-chapters. It's a lot to digest. Which of them calls you to action?
Generic ECO-TIP
EASY: Find a newspaper article to read about what your city/town is doing (or not doing) to protect the environment.
CHALLENGING: Figure out a way to join those who are working to protect the environment.
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Laudate Deum Action PledgeIn honor of the Pope's new exhortation, the Catholic
Climate Covenant has created a new way to pledge action and commitment.
In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis calls “all people of good will” to take action on the climate crisis and “move beyond the mentality of appearing to be concerned but not having the courage needed to produce substantial changes.” (LD 56) He particularly calls on us in the United States to make personal changes to our consumerist lifestyles, reduce our fossil fuel use, and to also advocate for systemic actions to address the climate crisis.
Together we can courageously commit to specific actions that will produce a much needed culture shift and produce a better future for our common home.
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DECEMBER
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Bulletin Prayer
Creator God, during this Advent season of darkness and unrest in the homeland of your Son Jesus, help us to remember in hope the coming of your Son who calls us to bring light, justice and peace to all of creation.
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Intercession
That our reflective living during this Advent Season may demonstrate our care for all the created world and those most in need as we discern how best to celebrate the coming of the Christ who through his life called us to build the Kingdom of justice and peace, we pray…
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Papal Quote
“Protecting the natural environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each and all. It is an urgent challenge, one to be faced with renewed and concerted commitment; it is also a providential opportunity to hand down to coming generations the prospect of a better future for all. May this be clear to world leaders and to those at every level who are concerned with the future of humanity: the protection of creation and peacemaking are profoundly linked! For this reason, I invite all believers to raise a fervent prayer to God, the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies, so that all men and women may take to heart the urgent appeal: If you want to cultivate peace, protect the environment.”
Pope Benedict XVI World Day of Peace January 1, 2010
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JANUARY
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Bulletin Prayer
God of compassion, in this new year we 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 persons most affected by wars, environmental degradation, and natural disasters, we pray…
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Intercession
In gratitude for the gifts of the earth that sustain us and gives us beauty. May our daily consumer practices demonstrate our care for our vulnerable planet and the lives of others as we attempt to live gently and with moderation on the earth, we pray...
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Papal Quote
The Judaeo-Christian vision of the cosmos defends the unique and central value of the human being amid the marvelous concert of all God’s creatures, but today we see ourselves forced to realize that it is only possible to sustain a ‘situated anthropocentrism’. To recognize, in other words, that human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures. For ‘as part of the universe…all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with sacred, affectionate and humble respect’”.
Pope Francis Laudato Deum
#67 October 2023
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February
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Bulletin Prayer
Generous God, be with us during this season of Lent as we enter more fully into the practices of prayer, fasting and actions to help us overcome our own indifferences and behaviors that cause harm to the earth and those most affected by environmental degradation.
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Intercession
That we may recognize that care for the earth reflects our care for the human community and that earth is a partner in sustaining life for all. May our lifestyle choices assure that our common home is protected so all may benefit from her fruits, we pray…
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Papal Quote
“The Judaeo-Christian vision of the cosmos defends the unique and central value of the human being amid the marvelous concert of all God’s creatures, but today we see ourselves forced to realize that it is only possible to sustain a ‘situated anthropocentrism’. To recognize, in other words, that human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures. For ‘as part of the universe…all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with sacred, affectionate and humble respect’”.
Pope Francis Laudato Deum #67 October 2023
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Catholic Social Action Office | 100 East Eighth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
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