Parish Creation Care Committee
Forming a Creation Care Committee
Parishes are invited to form integral Creation Care Committees that reflect the teachings of Laudato Si’. This path integrates ministries, staff, and parishioners to efficiently collaborate on developing Laudato Si’ initiatives, prayer, education, liturgy, and transformative actions to respond to the inseparable Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor.
Once established, the Creation Care Committee uses the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP) as an invaluable means to support parish engagement with the LSAP Goals to fulfill the parish’s mission, ministry and operations as it relates to the care of creation.
This integral, inclusive parish-wide journey is supported by LSAP vicariate facilitators and parish-to-parish networking across the Archdiocese of Chicago, bringing to life the Church’s principles of synodality, solidarity and subsidiarity. Caring for all of God’s creation is a fruitful avenue for bringing new life across the generations as we find ways to renew our Church together.
For more information on forming a Creation Care Committee, please contact us at [email protected].
- Connect with an Archdiocese of Chicago LSAP Vicariate Facilitator
A LSAP vicariate facilitator will accompany parish “Champions” using the Archdiocese of Chicago Creation Care LSAP process. Facilitators share experience, materials, presentations, monthly vicariate Zoom networking and solution-based suggestions for a successful journey towards parish integral ecology and LSAP.
- Establish a Core Group of Laudato Si’ Parish “Champions”
Clerics, parish council member(s), ministry representatives, staff, lay leaders, young people, and other parish stakeholders will advocate together on a Parish Creation Care Committee to reflect, set goals, create a plan, work more effectively together and amplify the impact of those efforts.
- Examine the LSAP
Learn how LSAP Goals are the focus of the parish journey toward integral ecology.
- Engage and Discern with the Pastor
With support from the LSAP vicariate facilitator and materials from the AOC LSAP process, the “Champions” discuss with the pastor how care for creation and LSAP benefits the parish and plays an integral role in “Building a Better Future Together.”
- LSAP Experiential Presentation
Vicariate facilitators will bring a LSAP experiential presentation to the parish “Champions”. The presentation is a prayerfully engaging, in-person experience that brings the meaning of integral ecology, the Laudato Si’ Goals, LSAP and the role of the parish community to light.
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Principals of synodality, subsidiarity and solidarity are woven in the process.
- Creation Care “Champions” enroll on LSAP
The process continues with initial enrollment on LSAP, support from the vicariate facilitator, and a network of Creation Care “Champions”. The LSAP brings together the efforts and resources of people and institutions around the world, building an inspired global community as one human family, dedicated to realizing our loving all of God’s creation.
For more information on forming a Creation Care Committee please contact Luisa Pimentel at [email protected].
Archdiocese of Chicago LSAP Materials
Discover Parish Laudato Si’ Journeys
Additional Resources:
- Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development Care of Creation
- Laudato Si’ Action Platform
- USCCB Caring for God’s Creation: Resources for Liturgy, Preaching, and Acting - Parish Resources
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Renewing the Earth
- USCCB, Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers/Catholic Climate Covenant: Care for Our Common Home
- Catholic Climate Covenant
- Laudato Si’ Movement
