Bulletin Boards

  image: https://laudatosimovement.org/news/laudato-si-part-2-an-ongoing-dialogue-of-the-signs-of-the-times/   September Reflection/Quote Consider the proverb popular in Kenya: “you must treat the earth well.  It was not given to you by your parents.  It is loaned to you by your children.”               Fr. Joseph Healey, MM   Eco-Challenge Read Laudate Deum, the Apostolic Letter by Pope Francis, on humanity’s obligation to the environment and act on it—both individually and in a communal way.    Facts/Education When it comes to climate change and global warming, the people living in Africa are very vulnerable.  Kenya is on the equator.  Countries in Eastern Africa are presently alternating between terrible drought and excessive flooding, resulting in mud slides.

Creation Day: A New Liturgical Feast? The role of Catholic organizations in the process   Online and in person in Rome, in the headquarters of UISG - Piazza di Ponte Sant'Angelo, 28 Throughout this past decade, many of us have enthusiastically celebrated “Creation Day” on September 1 (also known as “Feast of Creation” or “World Day of Prayer for Creation”), which opens the larger “Season of Creation”. Inspired by the day's ancient symbolism as the commemoration of the creation of the world (in Orthodox tradition), an ecumenical process is currently underway to elevate Creation Day to become a new feast in the liturgical calendars of various churches. This event, addressed to leaders of Catholic organizations and congregations (e.g. president, superior general, others with governance or executive roles, JPIC coordinators, etc), will share more background about the proposed feast, its theological foundations, and ways for Catholic organizations to contribute to the process.   DATE: 30 September 2024, 3pm - 4.30pm (Rome time) ORGANIZED BY: Laudato Si' Movement, JPIC, USG, UISG, Laudato Si' Research Institute   IN COLLABORATION WITH: Focolare Movement, Inter-Franciscan Commission Roman VI, International Catholic Conference of Scouting, Order of Augustinian Recollects (Arcores), Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Society of Jesus (SJES), Society of Mary, and World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations   LANGUAGES: English, Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese   more information:  https://www.uisg.org/en/meetings/126/Creation-Day-New-Liturgical-Feast/

image: https://www.pexels.com/search/coffee%20farmer/   Reflection/Quote Let us choose life.  Let us choose the future.  May we be attentive to the cry of the earth, may we hear the plea of the poor.                                                                        Pope Franics   Eco-Challenge Buy coffee beans, chocolate, produce, and more from a fairtrade certified company. Fast from overconsumption.  Refrain from shopping one day a week and use the money to support your civic community in some way.   Facts/Education Farming is the single largest employer in the world.  Fairtrade supports a fair deal for the farmers and workers who grow our food.

  Image: https://pixabay.com/ko/images/search/local%20veggies/   July Reflection/Quote If one thinks of tilling the ground as a form of service, one is led to envision a relationship to the Earth involving service or caring for, as opposed to ruling over it.  Let us take time to evaluate our service to God’s earth in the individual practices of our life and in our collective efforts in the realm of public policy.                                                         Sr. Helen Graham, MM   Eco-Challenge Commit to buying local, in-season produce.  Locally produced food grown during natural seasons is fresher and requires less energy to produce and transport.   Facts/Education Air pollution in the U.S. still remains a public health issue.  For 50 years, the Clean Air Act has driven dramatic improvements in air quality across the country.  The law requires the federal government to place limits on harmful air pollution, including greenhouse gases that cause climate change.  We need to stop the oil and gas industry that violates limits on toxic air pollution.

  Image: https://pixabay.com   June Reflection Quote “We will recover our sense of wonder and our sense of the sacred when we appreciate the universe as a revelatory experience of that numinous presence whence all things came into being.” Thomas Berry   Eco-Challenge Several times this month take time to gaze at the stars, the moon, the night sky—and thank God the Creator for this wonderfully made universe.   Facts/Education In the past several decades we have become increasingly and painfully aware of how we have failed as a human race to serve and care for God’s earth. We witness extreme weather events including devasting floods, prolonged droughts, raging wildfires, violent storms, and deadly heat waves. We are seeing species extinction due to the effects of climate change and our inadequate response to the urgent needs of our day.

image:google.com   May Reflection/Quote “The Anthropocene is a new geological epoch, which names an astonishing turning point in the history of our planet, since never before have homo sapiens lived in such an era, in which, overwhelmingly, humans have significantly altered all of the earth systems: the atmosphere, the oceans, the continents and ecosystems, the entire community of life on earth.” Cardinal Michael Czerny Eco-Challenge I will stop buying laundry detergent in plastic containers. I will purchase one container of laundry powder or laundry strips to try out and encourage others to do the same. Facts/Education Laundry detergent sheets are highly concentrated, low-sudsing, pre-measured detergent strips that you just toss into your washing machine. They come in eco-friendly recyclable paperboard packaging, and they live up to their eco-friendly credentials. Consumer Reports gave Earth Breeze Laundry Sheets a good rating, noting they are one of the most effective laundry strips at removing dirt, body oil, blood, chocolate and grass stains.

For Our Earth in Laudato Si’  All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.  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. Activities to celebrate Earth Day Organize a "clean-up." Enjoy a green smoothie. Create a "pollinator" garden (that will attract bees). Plant a tree! Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Conserve Water! Garden without pesticides. Play a nature-themed bingo game. Have an Earth Day drawing competition. Make a compost heap in your back yard.

image: https://www.planetfriendlyliving.co.uk/post/top-tips-for-drying-clothes-outside     April Reflection/Quote “Learning something leaves us different than we were before we knew it.  Learning is our lifeline to the fullness of ourselves.  We wake, if ever at all, to mystery.”. Annie Dillard Eco-Challenge Commit to saving energy by drying some or all of your laundry outside on a line when weather permits. Or use a drying rack inside.  Commit to this eco challenge at least one day this month!  Invite your family and friends too! Facts/Education The dryer is one of the biggest energy users in homes or apartments.  We can reduce our carbon footprint by an average of 2,400 lbs. per year by hang drying instead.  If drying outside is not an option, consider using a drying rack inside, or a shower rod or towel bar.

Image: https://subri.kr/ 50 Easy Ways to Protect Creation Recommended by the Ecology and Environment Committee of CBCK (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea) during the Season of Creation week, 2020 and Catholic Climate Action summarized and shares them as below: 1. Avoid using single-use products such as Styrofoam, plastic cups, plastic bottles, plastic knives, plastic spoons, plastic forks, and plastic straws, etc. Use reusable shopping bags, recycle plastic containers at the grocery store No to disposable bottled water!, Yes to personal water container! Biking or walking for short distances Buy "fair trade" products made from ethical and sustainable resources No more letting unnecessary engine running when parking, even for a short time! Grow your own vegetables in a community garden, mini boxes and pots on your patio, etc. Plan and take vacations that focus on volunteering or ecological activities ......................Read the whole list, please see the attached ..........

  Laudato Si Action Platform 7- Year Plan Year 2 Congregation of the Sisters of Divine Providence of Germany, South Korea, Peru, and the United States November 2023   Commitment We, the Congregation of Divine Providence, commit to join the global Catholic community in responding to Pope Francis’ appeal to participate in a seven-year plan toward sustainability and ecological justice by developing a Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Congregational Mission Statement We, the Congregation of Divine Providence, impelled by the Spirit of Jesus, commit ourselves to co-create a world of compassion, justice and peace. Guided by the legacy of Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler and Marie de la Roche, we nurture in ourselves and in others a trust and confidence in God’s faithful presence. We further commit ourselves to making God’s providence more visible in our world. Ongoing Congregational Actions Establishment of a CDP Environment Day on the first day of each month beginning in December, 2022, a Prayer of Creation is prayed. Also each month the members of the Congregation receive a quote about Creation and sustainability, an eco-challenge action to do, and either some factual information or an educational article to read. Each member is encouraged to participate in that eco-challenge monthly. Distribution of materials throughout the congregation and beyond through the use of Global Connections Newsletter and other avenues of communication such as an article featuring the efforts of the Wampanoag Common Lands Project to preserve and reinvigorate Native culture and identity in New England. https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/08/wampanoag-common-lands-project-seeks-to-restore-former-catholic-camp-to-what-it-was-before-european-colonization.html ........................... To read the full article, see the attachment ..........................