"Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such realities as climate change ... ? All these are issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development" (4). –Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace Message, January 2010. “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” Genesis 2:15 “Our care for one another and our care for the earth are intimately bound together. Climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community. The effects of climate change are borne by the most vulnerable people, whether at home or around the world.” USCCB Global Climate Change Background

CARE CALL TO ACTION!

We will share interesting information in our bulletin, church web site and social media. Watch for information about our Care for Creation Sunday,

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE NOW
 
Pray for Our Earth
Pray the words to our Creator of All, blessing us to walk together with all people of good will so that the many streams of the living waters of God's justice and peace may become a mighty river all over the Earth. Find the Season of Creation Prayer in the Documents. 

Back to School Wear
Want to stay stylish while avoiding fast fashion? Hand me downs might be the answer?
Now as retro trends are dominating the fashion scenes, grandma’s or your mother/ aunt's closet might be a goldmine, with permission of course! Know that 74% of consumers now say second-hand clothing is socially acceptable. On top of that, did you know we wear only half of the clothes in our closet? Give it away, take them to a second hand shop (e.g. PRISM), repurpose, cut off, redesign, make your own torn jeans from an old pair, sell online for a slight profit, have a clothing swap, etc.
And when buying clothing, buy natural fabric clothing to be more environmentally friendly ... remember to wear Plants not Plastics!

Care for Creation Sunday
Join us after weekend Masses at the Parish Center, September 23/24 to learn what we as a parish can do to care for our earth. Browse the information table, ask questions, get freebies, invest in the future! Check out the Care for Creation Ideas in the Documents for great ways to help the earth!

Gardening Tips
Save money and enhance your plants.
    Homemade Fertilizers
    Mix 1 teaspoon of each baking soda and Epson salt, and 1/2 teaspoon clear
    ammonia with 1 gallon of water; pour on plants; also deters blight, insects and
    squirrels.
    Pest Protection
    Add coffee grounds to the soil for added Nitrogen and Potassium; keeps bugs
    and squirrels away. Mix together 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3-4 drops teaspoon liquid
    soap and 1 liter water. Spray on infected plant to prevent further blight and plant
    becomes less acidic, improving the flavor of fruit/vegetables. Cinnamon also works
    well to keep insects and critters away from plants. Note: Pull back the mulch to
    apply any fertilizer, otherwise the mulch absorbs the nutrients, not the plants.

Did You Know??
Currently less than 6% of plastic is recycled. The rest is burned, buried or exported to developing countries, few who will now accept our garbage.
Our landfills are full, incinerators are polluting our neighborhoods, and more people are dumping plastics into our lakes, rivers and environment.
Have you noticed that the packaging that something comes in is bigger than the product itself? That’s because plastic is so cheap to produce.
Do you know who’s behind the production of plastic? Yes, it’s the petroleum industry, 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels. Petrochemical companies make big profits from plastic production. What can you do to help reduce the production of plastic?
 
Suds Up the Savings: $$
Typically your washing machine needs only 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent to clean a full load of clothing and 3 tablespoons for heavily soiled clothing. With these measurements, your clothes will rinse better! To help, keep a tablespoon or marked container near your laundry soap to measure the correct amount of detergent. Detergent companies want you to use more soap to keep you buying often. Remember, large plastic containers can be reused, repurposed or recycled!

Trash Talk
Every year Americans rank 1st in the amount of trash they throw out to landfills.
The new annual statistics as of February 2023 showed that annually we threw out 139.6 million tons of waste. That includes approximately 30.6 tons of food waste, 26.7 tons of plastics in addition to-other items.
Think about this and act on how you and your family can make a difference.

Plant First Aid:
Fall is the time of year when your plants are struggling, here are a few suggestions to help them.
1) To help prevent fungal disease, mix 1 tsp baking soda with a few drops of liquid soap in 1 liter of water and pour in a spray bottle. Spray on infected plants, white vinegar also works. Putting coffee grounds and crushed egg shells in soil around plants adds extra nutrients. Potato / rice or pasta water also adds nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the soil. Cut back tomatoes plants to encourage the nutrients to help the growth/ ripening of existing tomatoes.