Archdiocese Creation Care Team
Mission
We encourage and empower the people of our Archdiocese to express love for God and one another and respect for all life by exercising good stewardship and care for God’s creation as an essential practice of our faith.
Goals
Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home, the Archdiocese of Louisville Creation Care Team aligns its goals with those of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. We invite voluntary participation by individuals, families, parishes, schools, universities, youth groups and other organizations within the Archdiocese to integrate ecology as we work toward these goals:
by providing resources and opportunities to take direct actions that demonstrate care for creation. We will offer best practices drawn from parishes and dioceses across the country demonstrating how all can contribute to preserving our common home for future generations of all life, human and nonhuman.
by raising awareness that poor and marginalized groups experience the most severe impacts of climate change and pollution. We will provide opportunities to address the causes and effects of these impacts through advocacy and action.
by identifying and promoting sustainable choices for energy, food, reusable materials, transportation and clothing.
by offering opportunities for prayer, retreats, and faith formation highlighting the urgency in caring for our common home and all of creation.
by providing educational resources for teachers and students to support creation care initiatives. We will also offer support for Laudato Si study groups and the formation of parish Creation Care groups.
by evaluating and advocating for practices that are environmentally and economically beneficial.
by encouraging involvement in local programs, and advocating for action to address environmental injustice and environmental racism.
Some of our work:
2025 Laudoto Si’ 10th Anniversary Celebration – June 17-18 (Article in The Record)
Slides, recording of Dan Misleh presentation
Season of Creation – (September 1 – October 4). Poster Contest. Each year we invite students in grades K-8 to create posters promoting care for God’s creation. Posters for 2025 illustrated “The Canticle of Creatures” by St. Francis of Assisi.
Announcement of winners in The Record
Slides of winning posters
2025 Season of Creation winners.pdf
Green Mass – This a yearly Mass honoring all who work in environmental sustainability and those who love and care for the earth. The 2025 Green Mass was celebrated on Sept. 25 at St. Raphael Catholic Church.
Record article
Meetings of Archdiocesan Creation Care Network
February 2025 – Samples of Creation Care Action in different parishes
May 2025 – Respond to the Cry of the Earth by protecting biodiversity – Dr. Kate Bulinski
August 2025 – Ecological Education for Young People – Ashley Davenport
November 2025 – Laudato Si’ Action Platform – Dr. Kate Bulinski and Carolyn Cromer
Useful Links
- Link to the complete Laudato Si’ Document
- Link to the complete text of Laudate Deum
- Laudato Si’ Action Platform – An initiative of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
- Catholic Climate Covenant – Working with the U.S. Catholic Community
- The Letter, a film which tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis.
- His Holiness Pope Francis: Our moral imperative to act on climate change — and 3 steps we can take | TED Talk
- Short videos: Prayer for Creation (Laudato Si’ Movement); Together We Belong (Caritas International)
Questions? More information? Add yourself to the Archdiocese Creation Care Network mailing list. Contact CreationCare@archlou.org
