Care For Creation

St. Francis Pledge

"I pledge to pray, live and advocate Laudato Si."

Care For Creation

To answer Pope Francis’ call, the Care for Creation Ministry meets regularly to facilitate individual parishioners and the parish as a whole in living more in harmony with creation. We work with the interfaith community on local issues and on speaking in a unified voice calling for political leadership on this urgent issue.

For upcoming events, please check the bulletin.

Why We Care

Deepen your understanding of our shared responsibility for creation through the teachings of Pope Francis and insights from faith and science leaders. Explore Laudato Si’, Laudate Deum, and resources on integral ecology and climate change to reflect on how we are all interconnected and called to care for our common home.

Read Pope Francis’ encyclical letter – “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home”.
How it/we are all connected; “Integral Ecology” (click to watch the video).
View an explanation of Climate Change from Dr. Phil Sakimoto.
Read Pope Francis’ follow-up encyclical letter to Laudato Si’ – “Laudate Deum: To all People of Good Will on the Climate Crisis”.

What You Can Do with Us

To help or to get involved with our plans for Earth Day, the Season of Creation, Laudato Si Week of any other eco-activity, contact:

Pam James
Ministry Leader
stfccreation@gmail.com

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Ministry: support a local farmer who provides subscribers with fresh, sustainably produced, organic veggies.
Francis Community Garden: volunteer to help plant, nurture, gather, and donate organic food right on St. Francis’ campus for Interfaith Food Shuttle on Saturdays.

Spirituality

Laudato Si’

Basic info laudatosi.org/laudato-si/laudato-si-goals (7-year goals)
Home page to sign up laudatosimovement.org
Franciscans and Laudato Si 2020 Caring for Creation: Celebrate Earth Day at 50 and Laudato Si Week – Franciscan Action Network
Laudato Si´ Goals – YouTube
Video about VA church’s Laudato Si approach youtu.be/afu8v6enmr4?si=YIaU64gNKX9AreYG

Laudato Si’ Action Platforms

sdcatholic.org/…/dioceses-action-plan

Laudato Si’ Action Plan – Archdiocese of Washington

adw.org/living-the-faith/social-concerns/laudato-si-action-plan

Spiritual

Amanda Gorman Poem: youtube.com/watch?v=92XFwAoJn6w
Franciscans: franciscanaction.org/issues/care-for-creation
Ten love letters to mother earth: emergencemagazine.org/essay/ten-love-letters-to-the-earth/
Laudate Deum Poem: maryknollmagazine.org/photo_meditations/laudate-deum/

Catholic organizations

Interfaith Creation Care of The Triangle
interfaithcreationcare.org/

Ignatian Solidarity Network
ignatiansolidarity.net/ (more than eco issues)

Society of Catholic Scientists
catholicscientists.org/

Catholic Climate Covenant
catholicclimatecovenant.org

Diocese of Raleigh Care for Creation
dioceseofraleigh.org/human-life-and-dignity/care-creation

Strong Catholic Family Faith
catholicfamilyfaith.org/care-for-gods-creation.html

Creation Justice Ministries
creationjustice.org/blog/52-ways-to-care-for-creation

Greener Lent (Lenten eco project)
greenerlent.org/

Campaign Nonviolence
wagingnonviolence.org/cnv/

Vatican anti fossil fuels
cnn.com/2020/06/19/business/vatican-fossil-fuel-ban/index.html

Youth, race, Catholics and climate
americamagazine.org/politics-society/2022/10/06/catholics-hispanics-young-people-climate-change-poll-243910

Recycling and Composting

Composting- Durham
durhamnc.gov/4625/Food-Waste-Collection-Pilot

Composting – Wake County
http://bit.ly/binstf2021

Compost Now
https://www.compostnow.org/

Composting Raleigh
http://bit.ly/dropsf2021

Recycling Durham
click on “quick reference flyer durhamnc.gov/866/Recycling-Guidelines ”

Expanded recycling
.terracycle.com/en-US/

Composting
https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-workshop-composting/

Recycling general
https://deq.nc.gov/search/ncdeq?keys=recycling+markets

Composting
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/how-to-start-composting/

Electronic recycling
https://kramden.org/

Earth911
https://earth911.com/recycling-center-search-guides/

Local Resources

County extension agent site
wake.ces.ncsu.edu/

Resources for local gardening
growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/growingsmallfarms-pollinatorgarden/

Local green businesses
greenishneighbor.com/green-directory

Package free store
pnpdurham.com/

Package free store
mindfulmerchantnc.com/

Protecting rivers
Ignatian soundrivers.org/

Battery mowers
best-battery-lawn-mowers-4176050

Gardening for pollinators
gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/shade-plants-for-pollinators.htm

Develop pollinator gardens to care for bees, birds and butterflies with NCSU:
growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020-Top-25-Pollinator-Plants.pdf

North Carolina Wildlife Federation
ncwf.org

Environmental Defense Fund
edf.org/offices/raleigh-north-carolina

NC Pollinators
http://bit.ly/polptsf

Learn

Books

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (also PBS show)
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Ecological Footprints: An Essential Franciscan Guide for Faith and Sustainable Living by Dawn M. Nothwehr OSF
Listening for the Heartbeat of God – A Celtic Spirituality by J. Philip Newell (church library)
Solar Storms by Linda Hogan
Ask the Beasts by Elizabeth Johnson
Black Nature edited by Camille T. Dungy
When the Trees Say Nothing: Writings on Nature by Thomas Merton
“The Great Conversation – Nature and the Care of the Soul” by Belden Lane
“The Solace of Fierce Landscapes” by Belden Lane
Regeneration — follow up to drawdown – Paul Hawkens
The Nature of Nature—Eric Sala
Drawdown—Paul Hawkens
Braiding Sweet Grass – Robin Wall Kimmerer
Sharon Delgado’s — The Cross in the Midst of Creation: Following Jesus, Engaging the Powers, Transforming the World
Harriet A. Washington –“A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind”