I belong to NC Catholics Caring for our Common Home, a new initiative in the diocese. The group believes that all Catholics are called “to fall in love with creation again; fall out of harmful habits, rise up and respond to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.”
We’re committed to acting on Laudato Si, an encyclical on Catholic environmental stewardship by Pope Francis.
Our mission is to inspire and mobilize the Catholic community to care for the environment—what the pope calls our common home—and achieve climate and ecological justice, all with the urgency the times require.
We recently celebrated the Season of Creation with people of faith throughout the world. It’s held annually Sept. 1 through Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
This year the feast day is special, in part, because Pope Francis issued a new apostolic exhortation, Laudate Deum, as an update to the encyclical. There will be opportunities, both online and at local parishes, to read and discuss the document.
I read Laudato Si when it was published in 2015. I also attended a seminar on the topic in 2019. Studying the encyclical with fellow Catholics helped me learn and better understand the profound spiritual implications of caring for our planet from a Catholic perspective. I learned that:
- Caring for the Garden of Eden—God’s stunning creation—was the first task given to Adam and Eve.
- All people and nature are interconnected and caring for our common home is a responsibility we all share.
- Caring is not just about people living today but about the Earth supporting life for future generations.
- Caring for the Earth is the same as caring for the poor and vulnerable, who are disproportionately affected by drought and severe weather events.
- Although the problem seems overwhelming, each of us can do small actions that make a difference. Consider what’s written in Laudato Si #230. It reads, “St. Therese of Lisieux invites us to practice the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship. An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily gestures which breaks with the logic of violence, exploitation, and selfishness.”
An excellent discussion guide to Laudato Si is available from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Reading this enhanced my understanding of the mission before all Catholics and the vital importance of that mission.
NC Catholics Caring for Our Common Home will form groups in each of the parishes in the diocese. The goal of these groups will be to increase awareness of the pope’s encyclical and the urgency of Catholic environmental stewardship.
Parish groups will also provide members with easy-to-implement, sharable and environmentally friendly practices for parishes. Many of these practical action items are now a part of the Laudato Si action program.
We will have an exhibit table at the Eucharistic Congress in Raleigh Oct. 21. Stop by to check it out!
Finally, we invite Catholics to pray with St. Francis in his beautiful Canticle of the Sun, “Praise be to You, my Lord!” St. Francis reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our lives, and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us (Laudato Si, #1).
Many Raleigh parishes offer their own groups, programs, and other ways for Catholics to become involved in creation care—and many of us are already participating. Like these parish-based activities, NC Catholics Caring for Our Common Home has the potential to bring together people throughout the diocese and make care for our Earth an integral part of Catholic fellowship, spirituality, and stewardship.
Additional resources
Celebrating Laudate Deum
Pope Francis’ new apostolic exhortation, Oct. 4, 8 p.m. Rome time (2 p.m. local time in Diocese of Raleigh)