Ascension Parish in Oak Park, IL is a vital Catholic church, school, and community, established in 1907. We have excellent lay leadership and are known as a Peace and Justice congregation. Ascension has a vibrant Creation Care Ministry created at the launch of Laudato Si’ in 2015. It’s called HOME, Honoring Our Mother Earth, and the acronym connects to the subtitle of the encyclical, “Caring For Our Common Home.” We function under the umbrella of our long-standing and vibrant Peace and Justice Committee.

We are inspired by the comprehensiveness and integral ecology eloquence in Laudato Si’ and we feel the Holy Spirit at our backs. There was and is a great reception for it in our church and community. Environmental advocates and activists were waiting for an opportunity to do this faith-based work.

With over 20 members, good parish support (fostered), an impressive Advisory Committee and some successful and ongoing initiatives, we are grateful and continue growing our ministry. We won a state award for our Green Team Creation Care initiatives from Faith In Place several years ago.

We yearn for parishioners to take more actions to remediate climate change, and we hope they hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. Yet data on parishioners’ actions is not available. Some other ministries also actively support Creation Care. Others will be encouraged.

Some Creation Care accomplishments of Ascension’s HOME team and other ministries since 2015:

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Laudato Si’ Gardens Galore! We hear the cry of the marginalized and help with food insecurity. And we attract pollinators and Monarchs with our native plant gardens.
  • A large Community Veggie Garden with over 14 raised beds where over a ton of produce is grown and donated each growing season to our sister church, St. Martin de Porres in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, for the food insecure. This is a mutual effort with a team from each church
  • Two student STEM veggie beds and a hydroponic garden
  • Several native flower and plant gardens as well as beautiful annual and perennial flowers, including three Mary gardens and one with St. Jude.
• We launched our Zero Waste effort in the school lunchroom and throughout the parish. On launch day in the school lunchroom, we got down from 83% to 15% landfill!
• The HOME team has made a Creation Care/STEM connection with our wonderful school and staff and remind them that Laudato Si’ can be a vehicle subject to teach religion, science, math, civics, art, music and more. We have taught a Laudato Si’ 4-day Religion class to 6th – 8th graders; spoken to the teachers and school staff; shared Laudato Si’ information, books, and resources; and helped create a Creation Care Green Club with the students.
• Lenten Carbon Fasts for five years in a row to assess our carbon footprint and reduce energy use, waste, and consumption in line with Catholic Social Teaching.
• We put important, targeted Creation Care information, graphics, video clips and more in our parish publications. We are grateful for the support. Now it’s time to act!
• We have done some Laudato Si’ events to educate, inspire, act. We hosted several films, including an entry for the One Earth Film Festival which attracted over 200.
• We had an energy audit, funded by Faith In Place, in 2015. We have an opportunity for Community Solar in our village for churches, a win-win to save money and to help remediate climate change. We need more support from the Archdiocese.
• Music and Worship makes sure that we often pray and sing for God’s Creation. We yearn for more pulpit support for Creation Care, especially to teach that climate change actions are part of Catholic Social Teaching. Climate change is here, now, even in the Midwest. Climate change mitigation is so urgent that Pope Francis is putting a seven-year focus on it. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we can do it!
• We have an opportunity for Community Solar for churches in our village. This would be a win-win to save money and to help remediate climate change. We need more support from the Archdiocese and their ability to deal with the complex ComEd contracts. Please focus on this Community Solar option for our parish and others.
• Peace and Justice has been a dynamic force for nearly 40 years to hear the cry of the disadvantaged. They do so much and hosted several Creches from Around the World events after Christmas. Climate change continues to affect the poor and causes more climate change immigration and asylum-seeking, which will grow exponentially.
• Adult Lifelong Learning has had presenters speak on Creation Care and Laudato Si’.
• Our HOME team logo is symbolic of our work and is Christ centered. Jesus stands on our parish’s dome and the dome becomes Mother Earth, our common home.
• We ask the Archdiocese to divest from their fossil fuel stocks to be in alignment with Laudato Si’, to protect Archdiocesan assets at this delicate time and to communicate this Laudato Si’ action to the Archdiocesan faithful so they will also divest. We have been part of the postcard signature campaign to ask for divestment.
• We yearn to meet people where they are and engage them. An interactive game is being planned to get “cool points” for doing actions to reduce energy, waste, consumption. Making it fun can and will engage more people. We need the masses!

St. Nicholas Parish in Evanston, IL has a culture which can be perfectly described as, “All are welcome here.” With about 1,700 registered families, we are a diverse and active group of individuals who love God and each other. We worship and work together for the common good of our parish community, the archdiocese and the Universal Church.

Our mission statement is:

We are the Body of Christ at St. Nicholas. Grounded in our diversity, we gather for worship, cherish the traditions of our Catholic Faith, witness to the Gospel of Jesus, minister to others, and live as Christians in the world.

Life at St. Nicholas revolves around the goals of Laudato Si’. They play a critical role in directing the activities of the parish and working in this world to the glory of God in the next.

There are 59 listed committees and ministries at St. Nicholas. All of them are about caring for God’s creation. Our grounds are filled with native, pollinator-friendly plants. The energy, love and passion found at St. Nicholas for the care of the earth and all living things demonstrates faith in action.

The landscaping at St. Nicholas is populated with native plants suitable for their location. There are rain gardens that tolerate life under a downspout and sun gardens that thrive in a dry southern exposure. No chemicals are ever used here, and maintenance is minimal. Priority is given to pollinator-friendly perennials.

The outdoor courtyard in this natural setting is used as a multi-purpose space. Meetings and events are held there, but its main function is a space to meditate, pray, and seek to connect with nature. Many of our neighbors use the space for this purpose as do parishioners.

St. Nicholas is a multi-lingual and multi-cultural parish. Assistance to refugees, individually and as a group, can be provided to those from Spanish speaking countries in their own language and with understanding of their culture.

St. Nicholas partners with other faith-based groups to promote the rights of workers, assist those without food and housing, promote non-violence and push for racial justice.

In partnership with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Nicholas provides food to the hungry in the area and food baskets during the holiday season. A Giving Tree is part of Christmas. Wishes are hung on behalf of those in need, and parishioners assure that every one is fulfilled. They can be as simple as warm gloves for the winter, but they are enough to make lives better.

Mission trips to areas of the country in need of assistance are conducted yearly. Our annual event called “Shoe Box Christmas” benefits the Spirit Lake Native American Reservation in North Dakota. Children often don’t have even the basic grooming items such as a new hairbrush or toothpaste. The parishioners of St. Nicholas provide these gifts and much more.

People with developmental challenges often don’t have the opportunity to fully express their spirituality. The Special Religious Education Development team assists them to participate fully in faith-based sharing. They act as Eucharistic Ministers at SPRED Masses.

Once a month, St. Nicholas works with Second Baptist church to prepare and serve a nutritious hot meal to the homeless of Evanston, God’s children.

Our Hispanic community is especially well positioned to assist new arrivals who settle in this area from Spanish speaking countries. Assistance, if needed, is in the form of housing, food, clothing, job counseling, and extending the warmth of friendship to those who may feel lost in this new culture.

St. Nicholas is an active member of United Catholic Youth Ministries. They are exploring the creation of a composting initiative at St. Nicholas, as well as conducting Laudato Si' seminars and working on the creation of a Youth Garden.

St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington, IL is one of the geographically largest parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago. This quiet farming community, settled in the 1830s, is today crisscrossed by two state highways and two major rail lines. Though considered a transportation hub, the Barrington area is surrounded by rolling acres of countryside that include forest preserves, wetlands, parks, a riverfront, and walking, horse, and biking trails. The parish priests and the sisters from the Order of St. Francis have ministered at St. Anne inspiring all aspects of parish life together since 1930. St. Anne’s 3500 parish households experience both the beauty of natural habitats and the legacy of faith shared across generations.

Integral to the mission of the St. Anne Catholic Community are four core values:

• We gather in large and small groups to worship, prayer, and celebrate.
• We value and encourage lifelong faith formation and learning, essential to spiritual growth.
• We promise to share ourselves and our resources in God’s service.
• We commit to the work of justice and to reach out with compassion to those in need.

These values are integrated across the parish community, school, and all ministries. They are also deeply interconnected to Creation Care and our obligation as Catholic disciples to hear both “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” in the spirit of Laudato Si’. The development of a Creation Care Team, including representatives from across the parish and school community, has led to embracing Laudato Si’ initiatives through liturgy, prayer, education, and action in communion with each other. We view the Laudato Si’ Action Platform as a wonderful opportunity and important journey in collaborating with our brothers and sisters in our community, diocese, our country, and around the world in caring for each other and our common home.

What follows is a sample of Creation Care along our journey towards integral ecology at our St. Anne Catholic Community:

We begin with gratitude for all we have been given.

Parishioners share the bounty of their gardens with one another and our food pantry through Giving Gardens weekends.

We come together in worship centered around the Eucharist.

Liturgy is naturally woven with Creation throughout Mass, through the scripture, music and prayers of the faithful.

We support recycling and repurposing through our Project Hope Resale Shop to strive for more sustainable lifestyles, while responding to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

Since 1986, the House of Hope Resale has been the primary funding source for St. Anne Hope Ministries. Hope Ministries provides emergency assistance and support to local families.

We engage in opportunities to grow in our faith and build community.

School and Faith Formation students and parents learn about God’s gift of creation and how all living things are interconnected. Living our Catholic faith gives praise to God and cares for our common home. Laudato Si’ actions will be shared at Mass and within the community.

Adult parishioners gather for a 5-night Zoom workshop on the encyclical Laudato Si’.

We believe that we are all part of the solution.

Our youngest students collect gently used shoes to share with children in need who have outgrown theirs.

We build on solidarity with our Sharing Parish partners and Almsgiving outreach.

Parishioners from St. Anne’s Sharing Partner, St. Francis of Rome, celebrate a special liturgy in Barrington.

Food Drive collection for the Food Pantry of our Sharing Partner, St. Moses the Black.

(Picture taken by Rich Kalonick, Catholic Extension)
St. Anne Lenten Almsgiving has supported Catholic Extension projects in mission dioceses such as the Literacy Wagon in the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, where seminarians work with the children while their parents work in the orchards. St. Anne parishioners visited the Literacy program while on a Catholic Extension Immersion trip there.

We work to inspire the community to care for creation more intentionally.

Members of our St. Anne Guys Group (STAGG) spend a day restoring a railing and repairing the concrete along a wall where a creation mural is planned for the spring of 2022. A native grass and ground cover garden will be planted in front of the mural. Future plans for a community pollinator garden are in the works.

Scout Jason Zaehler, sets out plants with help from his sister in the Laudato Si’ Garden he has helped create as part of his Eagle Scout Service Project. The garden itself supports the ecological and religion curricula of our parish School and Faith Formation programs. The harvest benefits our parish Project Hope food pantry and other efforts to feed those in need.

St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, IL has been walking the path to fulfill the vision of Laudato Si’: to address the “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (LS 49). The parish holds regular food collection drives that benefit local food pantries. Parishioners regularly participate in working at local soup kitchens organized by Catholic Charities, and Fair Trade events are promoted at the parish. Additionally, St. Elizabeth Seton Church continues to provide educational opportunity and support in addressing Domestic Violence issues, is involved with Jail Ministry, and works with individuals who are unemployed. Seton parishioners are very active in building awareness, advocating, and initiating action on behalf of immigration, refugee and human trafficking issues. Seton parishioners hold true to the principles of Respecting Life from conception to natural death. In short, the St. Elizabeth Seton parish commitment to Catholic Social Teaching is commendable.

More recently, the parish has focused on initiatives on the theme of Creation Care. A Creation Care Team (CCT) was formed with a mission to pray, educate, and advocate for the preservation of our natural environment, and to protect marginalized communities and future generations. The parish initiated a recycling program, has been planting trees, and developed Creation Care presentation and educational materials for use at the Seton parish as well as at other parishes. Pets are blessed on the Feast of St. Francis, and children are blessed on the Feast of the Guardian Angels as a celebration of life. Recent Creation Care educational initiatives and actions include:

• Scholarly speaking engagements co-sponsored with the Archdiocese of Chicago on the encyclical Laudato Si’
• Facilitating educational seminars on solutions to the ecological crisis at local parishes, and schools
• Establishing relationships with national Catholic organizations and networking with other Creation Care teams to share best practices
• Lobbying efforts targeting State and US Congressional Representatives to promote legislative solutions to climate change
• Developing and publishing a bulletin insert called Creation Care Corner which provides sustainability tips for parishioners and is sent weekly to dozens of parishes nationally

The heartfelt people of St. Elizabeth Seton Church are empowered by the Spirit to build Christian Community through worship, education, and service. St. Elizabeth Seton Church brings the love of our Creator and Redeemer to “hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” through the message of Laudato Si’. 

A sample of the Creation Care Corner bulletin insert. Our database includes 50 Creation Care articles and sustainability tips, and is used regularly by dozens of parishes.

St. Elizabeth Seton Plastics Display used by numerous parishes in the Archdiocese, shown here on loan to St. Jude parish.

A Member of Congress letter writing campaign for climate action at St. Elizabeth Seton generated 500 letters!

Movie presentations shared with other parishes on the human impacts of a changing climate.

Scholarly lectures presented by our parish  on Laudato Si’ and climate science.

St. Mary of Vernon Parish in Vernon Hills, IL has been a Catholic faith community focused on serving each other and the needs of all God’s people from its beginning 43 years ago, on August 15, 1978. We have focused on charity to the least of our sisters and brothers in the Lord through our social service ministries. We have welcomed and embraced all people as we work and pray together.

Our founding pastor, Father John Finnegan, was the former rector of Niles College and provided the framework for these beliefs for 20 years. Unusually, our first two pastors served a combined 41 of our 43 years.

Our parish facilities grew slowly. Only 12 years ago did we build a full-sized church. We have always paid off our debt before taking on another project.

Saint Mary of Vernon’s population has grown and matured with Vernon Hills, growing older and more ethnically diverse over time. As Saint Mary of Vernon has grown we have added on ministries that addressed both faith-centered and social service needs, currently offering 46 different ministries.

We are active members of the Chicago Archdiocese Laudato Si’ Encyclical Working Group. Our grounds have been featured as part of the Laudato Si’ Garden Committee’s Webinar. Church groups tour our grounds. High school students did service projects and learned about our native plants.

Saint Mary of Vernon has worked to be more energy efficient, including a recent audit from Faith In Place. Our buildings and parking lot lighting are mostly converted to LED lights. As our old heating and air conditioning units have needed to be replaced we have purchased more energy efficient ones. We have had parishioners encourage developing solar panels, but upon review the idea was put off for now.

Our 17-acre property was initially landscaped with Fiore family donations, more recently purchasing plants following a professional landscape design. 

• Certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Habitat
• Maintained by a professional landscape company
• Volunteers maintain twenty flower beds, Reflection Trail, Aldo Leopold benches, Stations of the Cross Trail, Prayer Labyrinth, and mow the grass.

You can see from this brief summary that Saint Mary of Vernon continues to be a Catholic faith community focused on serving each other and the needs of all God’s people.

MORE DETAILS
Our Alpha-Omega Youth Ministry has sponsored summer youth mission trips to underserved communities through the Catholic Heart Workcamp program. This past summer they reached have also reached out to neighboring communities and to Saint Mary of Vernon, creating Camp TURTLE (Teens United Religiously In Tremendous Lover For Everyone).

Our Men’s Club is primarily a social group. The SMV Knights of Columbus focus on service projects and helping with the donation of three ultra-sound machines for the Pro-Life Movement.

Our five deacons serve PADS, Youth Ministry, Hospital Chaplain, Faith Enrichment, and Ministry of the Deaf. SMV has hosted the Lake County Deaf Mass since its founding with Father Mulcrone once a month, and an interpreter at our 11:15 Sunday Mass.

Our parishioners support:

• Sharing Hands Pantry…open twice a week
• Furniture Ministry …recycles donated used furniture and gives it away for free, using four donated box trucks for pick up and delivery.
• PADS… Thursday nights October to April
• Sharing parish for St. Angela School in Chicago

Saint Mary of Vernon is one of two Catholic parishes that founded Lake County United. Our support helped find a solution to the closing of Winchester House, the county’s long term care facility. We also helped bring Lake Behavioral Hospital, a full service psychiatric hospital, to Waukegan. Our latest support is for developing two hundred essential housing units for essential workers, on the site of the former St. Therese Hospital in Waukegan. We have supported Lake County Habitat for Humanity.

The COVE Ministry was founded to create a school and home for children in Uganda. Father Hilary Muheezangango, who worked at Saint Mary of Vernon as a seminarian, told how central Uganda had experienced civil wars, followed by an AIDS epidemic, leaving many children orphaned.

Notable Past Ministries:

• Women’s Club…lack of attendance
• Senior Citizens…lack of leadership
• Young Adult… aged out
• Scouting Program: Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts declining membership

Several Current Ministries:

• Dress A Girl
• Cub Scouts
• Choir
   

St. Mary of Vernon parish responds to the Laudato Si’ Goals throughout many ministries, organizations, and groups:

1. Response to Cry of the Earth is a call to protect our common home for the well being of all, as we equitably address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and ecological sustainability.
   • Parish Landscaping
     We are proud that the St. Mary of Vernon Church property has been officially designated by the National Wildlife Federation as a certified Wildlife Habitat. When the project started, our native plant gardens were still in their beginning stages, but the almost 300 wildflowers planted then were more than enough to qualify our property for certification, which was awarded to us on July 27, 2008.
   • Seminarians Ministry 
     St. Mary of Vernon’s Seminarians Ministry is an opportunity to support vocations by promoting ways to encourage and pray for seminarians as they work through their studies on their journey to priesthood through a unique partnership between the parish and the seminary.
   • Care For Our Common Home Ministry 
     SMV’s Care For Our Common Home Ministry is a caring group of individuals that shares information and resources, and is working together to care for the earth and participates in the Laudato Si Encyclical Working Group and Laudato Si Garden Committee.
2. Response to the Cry of the Poor is a call to promote eco-justice, aware that we are called to defend human life from conception to death, and all forms of life on Earth.
   • Caregiver Support Group 
     Offers members of the community who are actively engaged in caring for a loved one/friend the opportunity to share their frustrations and accomplishments in an understanding, confidential environment.
   • SPRED 
     SPRED (Special Religious Development) is a program, created in the Archdiocese of Chicago, which trains and guides parishes to provide faith formation to persons with developmental disabilities and/or learning problems and become integrated into parish life.
   • Bereavement Ministry
     The purpose of this ministry is to comfort families at the death of a loved one, to help them plan a funeral liturgy that is respectful and comforting and to offer support as needed.
   • Care to the Sick Ministry 
     Ministers of Care will tell you that they receive more than they ever give. It is truly a blessing to be present, to listen, to pray and bring Christ to those who are ill.
   • Prayer Ministry 
     Parish Prayer Ministers pray daily for the intentions of parishioners requesting prayer. All requests are kept confidential using first names only.
   • COVE Alliance
     COVE Alliance originated as one man’s dream, and has become a growing network of caring, gifted people reaching out to orphaned and disadvantaged children in Uganda.
   • Dress a Girl Around the World 
     Dedicated volunteers here at SMV participate in the Dress A Girl Around the World Ministry, sewing dresses, making dolls and bracelets for needy girls around the world.
   • Furniture Ministry 
     Adult drivers along with teen volunteers match up used, serviceable furniture, donated by local residents, with needy families in our nearby communities.
   • Knights of Columbus 
     Being a Knight is more than camaraderie; it is being involved with our community, supporting our Church and doing charitable and community work while enhancing our faith.
   • PADS Center - Providing Advocacy, Dignity and Shelter 
     Every Thursday from October through April, St. Mary of Vernon is a host site for the homeless of Lake County through PADS (Providing Advocacy, Dignity and Shelter). During the summer months, volunteers make lunches for the homeless at our Parish Center kitchen.
   • Peace and Justice - Lake County United 
     Our membership in Lake County United is our way to bring awareness of local social justice issues to our parishioners. Lake County United puts a priority on organizing by building relationships and bringing together the broad diversity of Lake County residents.
   • Respect Life Ministry 
     The Respect Life Committee promotes a Culture of Life within the parish in concert with the Pastor and the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The committee meets quarterly to discuss Life issues and plan prayer services, fundraising projects, and participation in archdiocesan and community pro-life events.
   • Sharing Hands Food Pantry 
     Over fifty volunteers serve as: Interviewers and Translators, Advocates, Shoppers, Home Meals. Sharing Hands "intake"; distribute food and limited clothing to the needy families. Furniture Ministry, drivers along with teen volunteers match up used, serviceable furniture, donated by local residents, with needy families in our nearby communities.
   • Sharing Parish School - St. Angela's 
     St Angela’s School is located in the Austin neighborhood on the west side of Chicago. Our parish “Shares” with St. Angela basically to provide additional funding for the over 300 school children who benefit from an excellent education.
   • WERC - Wellspring Employment Resource Community 
     The St. Mary of Vernon Wellspring Employment Resource Community (WERC) is here to help any job seeker with the planning and execution of their job search strategy.
3. Ecological Economics acknowledges that the economy is a sub-system of human society, which itself is embedded within the biosphere-our common home.
4. Adoption of Simple Lifestyles is grounded in the idea of sufficiency, and promoting sobriety in the use of resources and energy.
5. Ecological Education is about re­-thinking and re-designing curricular and institutional reform in the spirit of integral ecology in order to foster ecological awareness and transformative action.
   Saint Mary of Vernon has hosted Nazareth Academy students, sharing the landscape features, posts Care Corner in Sunday bulletin hosted a Vicariate 1 gathering, showed The Human Element
6. Ecological Spirituality recovers a religious vision of God's creation and encourages greater contact with the natural world in a spirit of wonder, praise, joy and gratitude.
   Saint Mary of Vernon offers its parishioners a Prayer Labrynth, Reflection Trail, Stations of the Cross Trail, and Adopt A Garden program to connect its members closer to God and nature. We like to think that our church is open 24/7 outdoors.
7. Community Engagement and Participatory Action encourages the development of cultures and policies that protect our common home and all who share it.
   • Peace and Justice - Lake County United 
     Our membership in Lake County United is our way to bring awareness of local social justice issues to our parishioners. Lake County United puts a priority on organizing by building relationships and bringing together the broad diversity of Lake County residents.
   • Care For Our Common Home Ministry 
     SMV’s Care For Our Common Home Ministry is a caring group of individuals that shares information and resources, and is working together to care for the earth.and participates in the Laudato Si Encyclical Working Groupand Laudato Si Garden Committee.

St. Joseph Catholic Church in Libertyville, IL measures itself by how we serve “the least of these” in our parish and beyond its boundaries--- the hungry, the homeless, the sick, those in prison, the stranger (Mt 25:31). At St. Joseph Catholic Church, we provide many opportunities for outreach and service to others in need as we seek to fulfill the vision of Laudato Si’. We act as the living presence of Christ in our world as we serve one another in justice and compassion.

The Care for Creation Ministry’s mission plays a crucial role in raising awareness of Catholic teachings on caring for the environment and providing practical suggestions on living out the teachings aligned with Laudato Si’. The members are active in local environmental groups and participate in the local Green Living Fair. The Care for Creation Ministry encourages advocacy, providing information on state and national environmental legislation and urging all to contact their legislators. They are proficient in sharing their knowledge and events with the parish community and encourage involvement regardless of age. Again, this example inspires our youth and encourages them to be mindful of our resources and utilize God’s blessings. This past summer, the youth group completely renovated our parish patio and transformed an underutilized, overgrown space into a beautiful garden with a waterfall, pergola, fresh greenery, and picnic tables.

In 2017 St. Joseph parish provided money to Catholic Charities to build raised beds to grow produce for their food pantry. Members of our team assisted in maintaining the garden and harvesting crops throughout the summer. The 8th-grade students from our parish school helped cultivate a garden behind our parish rectory and continued to harvest the produce for the St Joseph food pantry—another instance of learning by example.

The St. Joseph Catholic Church parishioners continue to show gratitude for our gifts and all creation. We continue to look for ways to respond to Pope Francis’ message to hear the cry of the earth and to hear the cry of the poor.

Our Mission
In Jesus Christ, we will grow and flourish through: 

• Engaging, welcoming, and building community
• The wisdom of our faith
• Social justice and service to others in need
• Engaging and understanding the energy and interests of our youth
• Prayer and worship that deepens our spiritual life
• Accountability in using our resources wisely

St. Joseph Catholic Church has over six commissions with over 100 ministries, plus a parish school. Here are a few ministries that have been crucial during the Covid 19 pandemic:

• The Food Pantry: The food pantry is open five days a week and serves over 800 families a month.
• SHP Bed Ministry: The bed ministry provided over 400 beds in one year to Lake County children.
• The Employment Ministry: This ministry helps job seekers to establish employment.

Our parishioners are eager to volunteer and have used their gifts and talents in various opportunities that answer their God-given calling. We have provided over $230,000 to support local and global social justice initiatives in the past fiscal year.

It is such a blessing to watch our youth group continue to grow and thrive in positive ways. Not only are they working to support the needs of impoverished families here in Lake County by participating in home repair projects, but they also organize an annual trip to Appalachia to repair homes and provide support in their community. The model, our adult parishioners, have set for the youth is remarkable.

Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica Parish and the National Shrine of St. Peregrine in Chicago, IL is located on the West Side of Chicago in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. The East Garfield Park area is one of the highest-crime areas in the city and very impoverished. One corner of the church lot is located on Jackson and Albany, a high-traffic drug dealing spot. There are regular shootings in that area. It has always been a neighborhood of underserved people with low incomes. The church has been there to serve the immigrant Italians, Irish and Hispanics, and now serves the African American community. It has been a “beacon of light” for those in the area since 1874.

Our Laudato Si’ journey began with a “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” crisis and focused on one of Blessed Mary’s Sorrows: the toxicity of people’s crime, violence, racism, hatred and division. The beauty of nature reminds us to come closer to God, becoming disciples of mercy who practice taking care of God’s Creation and being good stewards. Through discussions with the pastor, Fr. Chris Krymski, OSM, it was decided to build a park area right there in front of the dealers and the neighbors. The parish community agreed that bringing new life and beauty to the area would be a way to share God’s creation. We call it Novena Park, named after the Servite Novena to Our Mother of Sorrows.

The parish is served by the Servite community. Their charism to mission and commitment to Laudato Si’ made this a perfect fit for the group. The church community is mainly low income, so funds are not easily found. Development of the park began with church members, deacons, and priests cleaning up the area. Most of the plants were bought by individual parishioners giving the whole church a part of this creation. Once the bishop came by and blessed it, the park became a place of prayer and meditation for the community.

The Our Lady of Sorrows community is made up of mostly elderly parishioners. Our theme of caring for creation and our neighbor has been the passion of these parishioners. They also serve the homeless breakfast on weekends. The new park space has become a gathering space for that group in the mornings.

One of the brightest lights today coming from our Laudato Si’ mission is the change we see in who now occupies the corner and the block. Many of the old dealers are gone, but what is more important is the change in actions by many that are still around. Crime has been significantly reduced. The feedback we are getting for the neighbors is extremely positive.

The challenge we continue to have is the fact that the area is still high crime/low income. We have issues with graffiti and damage to the park. Daily we see or hear of a shooting death of a youth in the area. Our goal is to hear the cries of the poor and show our love for Jesus through caring for Creation.

Novena Park is a natural healing space to enliven spirituality and vitality of prayer. It is truly one of God’s gifts of Creation. The fact that our church is also the National Shrine of St. Peregrine adds to the need for healing. We see neighbors stopping by and praying at the Mother of Sorrows Statue in the front of Novena Park. What better way to evangelize than to use God’s peace and beauty?

St. James Catholic Church in Chicago, IL is a diverse community rooted in vibrant Eucharistic liturgy serving those in need in partnership with its neighbors. It is located in the Bronzeville neighborhood, home to Chicago’s “Black Metropolis,” the center of African-American life and culture. Sunday Masses are joyful expressions of our love for God, incorporating everything from Gregorian Chant to Gospel music. St. James shares its neighborhood with the new Ven. Augustus Tolton Spirituality Center, named after the first African-American priest ordained in the United States, dedicated to the renewal of African-American parishes.

St. James’ responses to Laudato Si’s “cry of the earth” and “cry of the poor” are interconnected and manifold. Moreover, our work connects beautifully with the Economy of Francesco initiative, which calls for young people to engage in co-creating a new economy of care and sharing. We partner with Just Roots, an 18,000 square-foot urban farm that flourishes in the footprint of our demolished church building. This thriving farm now grows 10,000 pounds of fresh produce each year. Fifty percent of the produce is sold through community-supported agriculture. Thirty-five percent is committed to the farmer’s market held onsite each Saturday. Fifteen percent is donated to the St. James Food Pantry. The goal of the community farm is to strengthen sustainable food production by empowering community members to grow food and engage in dynamic, culturally relevant education on healthy nutrition. The farm is part of our evangelization. It attracts people to our faith, connects us with neighbors and with creation, giving new meaning to the “joy of the Gospel.”

In order to transition to responsible stewardship of the earth’s resources, St. James is instituting a recycling program throughout its campus. We have replaced Styrofoam and plastic with plant-based and biodegradable materials. Our food pantry, one of the largest in Chicago, feeds 1500 families per month, including nutrition classes and mental and physical health support. Our lunch program for people experiencing homelessness feeds 30 to 40 persons per day. Our Peace and Justice committee advocates actively for fair labor and voting laws and improves the lives and environment of all residents through community clean-ups. We have also partnered with the Food Recovery Network to help eliminate food waste at nearby Illinois Tech (Illinois Institute of Technology), one of three campuses for which St. James provides Catholic campus ministry. The Food Recovery Network was initiated by students who participate in Catholic campus ministry. Monthly Masses and weekly prayer sessions for young adults are at Illinois Tech in the Mies van der Rohe God Box, a minimalist chapel that invites contemplation and meditation.

Our next Laudato Si’ projects include installing a labyrinth on parish land adjacent to the community farm. The seven-circuit labyrinth represents our connection to creation and our efforts to heal our wounded world. Like the God Box and the Living Chapel, the labyrinth invites walking contemplation and meditation. We envision a multipurpose site open for outdoor liturgies, prayer, and community education to celebrate our connection to one another and our common home. The design will incorporate access for persons with physical disabilities and special needs. Students from the Catholic campus ministry and other community members are involved in its design. With Life Directions we will host Women Bridging Change, a program to transform pain into purpose. Seeing Race is our anti-racism initiative. These initiatives inspire us to share ourselves in communion with all people of goodwill to radiate light upon the wounds that divide us.

With Pope Francis, we dare to dream, knowing that walking creates the path. Like the Camino de Santiago, dedicated to our patron saint, St. James the Greater, we welcome people of all faiths and cultures to walk with us, the ordained with the confirmed, the affluent with the poor, men and women, young and old. Our walk follows a transformational way of life; the desire to complement each other, to be humble toward one another, to consider ourselves servants to all, looking out for one another’s interest, not just for our own. By walking together the common good becomes holy ground as our God of mercy heals wounds caused by division and trauma.