An ecumenical is really a big deal when it comes to the Catholic faith. It is executed by the Pope to the whole body of churches to promote a very worthwhile unity or cooperation of Christians worldwide. On May 24, 2015, the Holy Father Francis wrote and released the Encyclical Letter Laudato si' on care for our common home. Read more below.

Activities and reflections are a great way to get involved with this wonderful program. You can also download the Season of Creation Celebration Guide that has an ecumenical prayer service and more details about the 1010 theme - Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope.

Sunday, October 4 Mass (Feast of St. Francis), Guest Speaker, Deacon Glenn Skuta provided an overview of Pope Francis' Laudato Si encyclical. Videos of Deacon Skuta can be found on SJCCMN YouTube.

We need to continually care for our common home. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis have a Care for our Creation leadership team dedicated to assisting in this cause. If you are interested in joining their work, please email creation@arshspm.org.

Pope Francis - Encyclical Letters Regarding Creation:

29 June 2013 Lumen fidei - The Light of Faith
24 May 2015 Laudato Si - Praise Be to You, My Lord
03 October 2020 Fratelli tutti - All Brothers

• Session 1: Sacred Air, Sacred Breath

• Session 2: Climate Change: Is It Even Real?

• Session 3: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy

• Session 4: Greenhouse Gases and Carbon Footprint

• Session 5: Lament and Hope (Guest Speaker)

• Session 6: Environmental Justice

• Session 7: Climate Communication

• Session 8: Climate Action

Millions of people around the world celebrate Earth Day as a means to protect our planet and it’s resources. Pope Francis wrote an encyclical  entitled
“Laudato Si'”  On Care for our Common Home.

The encyclical draws its name from The Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis of Assisi.
It reminds us of our common home and that we must care for it.

Here are some ideas for families to put Earth Day into practice.

Clean up litter in your community
Learn about the Great Sunflower Project
Plant bee and Butterfly friendly flowers
Reduce the use of plastic bottles
Compost food scraps
Switch to paperless billing
Reduce electric use at home
Ride a bike instead of the car one day a week
Go on a nature walk with your children and pick of trash along the way

August 13, 2020

Dear Brothers in Christ,

I hope you are well and taking good care of yourselves.



As we approach the month of September, I invite you to prayerfully consider the words
of Holy Father Pope Francis:

Everything is interconnected, and... genuine carefor our own lives and our relationships
with nature are inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.
Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ( 70)

Last year, Pope Francis officially invited Catholics from around the world to participate
in the " Season of Creation," an annual ecumenical effort "of increased prayer and effort on behalf of our common home." It begins on September 1st, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and continues through October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis, and is already widely embraced by Christians worldwide. As the Holy Father said, "this is the season for letting our prayer be inspired anew," a season "to reflect on our lifestyles," and a season" for undertaking prophetic actions ... calling for courageous decisions ... directing the planet towards life, not death."

The theme this year is the Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope, paying
particular attention to how changes in our environment affect the most vulnerable. Pope Francis'message, which calls us to attend to the " immense hardship for the most vulnerable among us," is particularly relevant in the light of the coronavirus pandemic. As the world experiences deep uncertainty and suffering in the midst of a global emergency, we are called to recognize that a truly healthy recovery means seeing that " everything is connected" and repairing the bonds we have broken. We realize that we need to grow in solidarity and take care of one another in fraternity.

This year's Season of Creation celebration provides us an opportunity to gather together
and restore our connections to one another and all of God' s creation. I encourage you to celebrate in some way the Season of Creation in your parish communities through " care for creation" prayers at Mass or in your bulletins, outdoor gatherings, or other actions inspired by the Holy Spirit. While we realize that the " Season of Creation" is almost upon us, we invite you to reach out to our newly formed Archdiocesan Care for Creation team for ideas and support for Care for Creation efforts. You can contact the Care for Creation team by emailing creation@archspm.org. 

Fraternally yours in Christ,

Reverend Bernard A. Hebda