The goals of the St. Mary’s Creation Care Team are twofold:
- Offer parishioners the opportunity to learn more about the environmental and economic challenges we face.
- Offer suggestions on how to meet these challenges as individuals, families and a parish community.
Here are some resources which help to meet these goals:
Pope Francis wrote a letter to our church in 2015 entitled Laudato Si, On the Care of Our Common Home. Click here to read the letter, or encyclical, in its entirety.
The Global Catholic Climate Movement is an international organization begun here in our diocese whose purpose is to educate Catholics around the globe about the effects of climate change and to put into action Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home. The Boston Catholic Catholic Climate Movement is our area’s response to the call of Laudato Si. Another informative website about our environment is that of the Catholic Climate Covenant. Catholic Relief Services has a webpage of media resources, including stories and a wonderful Catholic Social Teaching video about Caring for Creation. Finally, here’s a link to a YouTube video, entitled “Our Future”, narrated by Morgan Freeman, that speaks of hope for the future of our “only home”.
Click here for some suggestions on how you can have a positive effect on our environment.
The Creation Care Team generally meets on the second or third Saturday of the month at 10:00 in the Parish Center. Contact Leo Racine at 508-429-7476 or [email protected] for more information.
Here’s a prayer for our earth written by Pope Francis in his encyclical, Laudato Si.
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
Amen.
Photos courtesy of Pat Campo-LeBlanc