We Reverence God in the Wonder of Creation

The Church of St. Ignatius Loyola is a Laudato Si’ parish, embodying the goals articulated by Pope Francis ten years ago in his encyclical Laudato Si’- Praise Be Care for Our Common Home. The encyclical is a compelling document founded in theological convictions that are grounded in scripture, Catholic social teaching, and previous papal documents. It addresses how climate, environmental ecology and related poverty, are moral imperatives in addition to being scientific and societal ones.

Our paradigm of Church requires us to transform ourselves in reverencing God’s creation and contribute both individually and as a community, for a sustainable future.

We will continue our efforts to accomplish this through adopting a parish-wide focus on the seven goals of the Laudato Si’ by aligning our parish’s operations with responses to the cry of the earth; the cry of the poor; ecological economics; adapting sustainable lifestyles; ecological education; ecological spirituality; and community engagement.

We hope that our parishioners, their family and friends will embrace the call of Pope Francis and now, Pope Leo XIV, to work together toward an integral ecology that is reflected in our personal lives, the life of our parish and in our schools.

Dear Parishioners,

In his encyclical, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis encouraged us to be mindful of our responsibility to care for God’s precious gift to us, our common home, planet Earth itself. He reminded us that, as was true from the time of Adam and Eve, we too have been entrusted with the stewardship of all God’s creation. And now our common home is crying out for help. We teeter on the brink of global catastrophe because of our inaction to protect our environment. Natural resources are being plundered at a rate never before experienced. The air we breathe is itself choking for life. Our waterways are polluted, strangled in a tangle of plastic refuse. More and more species are becoming extinct. Dramatic changes in climate patterns are being fueled by human actions that persist with the conceit of ignorance and denial. To fail to act, whether in small or big ways, will only accelerate the human destruction of what God has created.

The Pope’s words are not intended as a doomsday tale. Rather it is his call to action. With God’s grace there is still time for us to unite in common purpose and act intentionally to protect our common home, to safeguard life itself.  A global response that will undoubtedly result in the reversal of this downward cycle is only possible if we act at the local level – in our homes, our parish, our local communities, and as a nation. To take liberty with the words of Neil Armstrong, small steps can lead to giant strides.

This Action Platform, drafted by the parish’s Laudato Si’/Care of Creation Ministry, outlines the practical things that we, as a parish and in our homes, can do to change the trajectory of our world. To do nothing would be to succumb to the numbness of being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. To do even a little will assuredly lead us to significant ways of changing our lifestyles of overconsumption and waste. The future of our planet is within our hands by the simplest of tasks, like turning off unnecessary lighting, using products manufactured from sustainable materials, and using recycling bins that are ubiquitous, but more often than not unused.

It is my ardent hope that we will heed the words of Pope Francis and now Pope Leo XIV to act in a manner that manifests, in concrete ways, our care for our common home. The challenge for us is to live in a way that reflects our belief and acceptance of the words from the Book of Genesis at the end of each day of creation, God saw that it was good. May we be blessed with an abiding trust in God’s words and protect for future generations all that God has created.

Dennis J. Yesalonia, S.J., Pastor

Faith and science are complementary, not in opposition to one another. We know from our Catholic faith that God created the world, and His creation is beautiful – something we should honor and protect. We also know that science tells us that the Earth is facing ecological challenges never seen before.

The Earth’s climate is changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, and its natural resources are depleting. Human-caused climate change is damaging our communities—locally, nationally, and globally.

Laudato Si’ calls us as people of faith to embrace environmental science and the science of climate change and conservation, to protect and preserve the environment for future generations because the Earth is God’s wondrous creation and gift to humanity.

“Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth” (Laudato Si’). 

Response to the Cry of the Earth: greater use of clean renewable energy and reduction of fossil fuels to achieve carbon neutrality efforts to protect and promote biodiversity guaranteeing access to clean water for all, etc.

Response to the Cry of the Poor: defense of human life from conception to death and all forms of life on Earth, with special attention to vulnerable groups such as indigenous communities, migrant children at risk through slavery, etc.

Ecological Economics: sustainable production, Fair-trade, ethical consumption, ethical investments, divestment from fossil fuels and any economic activity harmful to the planet and the people, investment in renewable energy, etc.

Adoption of Simple Lifestyle: moderation in the use of resources and energy, avoid single-use plastic, adopt a more plant-based diet, and reduce meat consumption, greater use of public transport and avoid polluting modes of transportation, etc.

Ecological Education: re-think and re-design educational curricula and educational institution reform in the spirit of integral ecology to create ecological awareness and action, promoting the ecological vocation of young people, teachers, and leaders of education, etc.

Ecological Spirituality: recover a religious vision of God’s creation, encourage greater contact with the natural world in a spirit of wonder, praise, joy, and gratitude, promote creation centered liturgical celebrations, develop catechesis prayer, retreats, formation, etc.

Emphasis on Community Involvement and Participatory Action: care for creation at the local, regional, national, and international levels; promote advocacy and people’s campaigns, encourage rootedness in local territory and neighborhood ecosystems, etc.

Our active engagement should prioritize areas of the globe and local communities that are the least responsible for climate change but experiencing its most damaging effects and consequences.

Actions for individuals, families, parishes, and schools:

☐   Explore local ecological educational opportunities in your community to learn about environmental justice

☐   Volunteer to do a community clean-up

☐   Know your neighbors in your community and develop relationships with them

☐   Outreach to those who need assistance and respect those who are most vulnerable

☐ Support charities that assist the vulnerable and the poor such as: Bread for the World, Catholic Charities-NYC, Jesuit Refugee Services, New York Common Pantry, City Relief, etc.

Laudato Si‘ calls us to live more simply. We are called to adopt a prayerful and intentional approach to our purchases, and to be mindful of the toll our choices have on God’s creation and the world we live in.

Actions for individuals, families, parishes, and schools:

☐ Cut down or eliminate single-use plastic such as water bottles

☐ Make conscious consumption choices

☐ Nurture your relationships with family, friends, and community

☐ Recycle, Re-use, Restore, Replenish

☐ Explore conscious travel and transportation, ie: drive less, bike, walk, or use public transportation

Ecological spirituality is an appreciation and recognition of creation as God’s original blessing and God’s revealing presence in nature. Guided by Catholic Social Teaching, we are thereby called to be good stewards of God’s gift, the Earth, our common home.

Actions for individuals, families, parishes, and schools:

☐ Homilies on the integration of Catholic social and moral teaching regarding care for creation

☐ Plan, celebrate and mark the Season of Creation held each September 1 to October 4, including a Season of Creation Mass

☐ Celebrate a seasonal Mass utilizing the new Liturgy for the Care of Creation initiated by Pope Leo XIV in recognition of Laudato Si’

☐ Bring in expert theologians/speakers to lead/guide conversations at parish or parish school sponsored events

☐ Ensure parish and school events and formation opportunities promote the Church’s teaching on climate change, social, racial, environmental, and immigrant justice

“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.” 

— Pope Francis