"God made this earth, not for its own sake, but to be a home for the human family. The good things of creation are meant to be shared, developed and used for the good of all of his children.
And God intends us to be cocreators with him, cooperating with him to carry out and complete the work of his creation.
Human life and human nature must be protected and cared for -- our rights and dignity, the needs of our bodies, minds and spirit.
The natural environment must also be protected and cared for. We are not put here to consume what we need and throw away what we do not, with no regard for the health of our communities or the needs of future generations."
-Archbishop Jose Gomez, "Renewing the Face of the Earth"
Consider How Your Parish and Family Can Save Money and Steward Creation
RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE
Read Laudato Si by Pope Francis
Laudato Si is the encyclical letter by Pope Francis on Care for our Common Home. He advocates for an authentic human ecology that respects creation and human dignity.
PARISH RESOURCES
California faces droughts and high energy consumption. Parishes often desire to be good stewards of their resources by recycling, saving energy, and using water wisely. Download these handy checklists to see if your parish can save energy, resources, and money while caring for creation at the same time!
Checklists:
RESOURCES FOR PARISH LEADERS AND FAMILIES
Earth Day Resources for April 22, 2019
Formation Resources
Spiritual Resources
Consider Small Ways Your Family Can Care for Creation
There are many ideas to help your family conserve natural resources, save money, and teach your children about how to be good stewards of the earth.
Request Consultation from Catholic Energies
Catholic Energies helps parishes and schools save energy, supporting parishes through projects of energy procurement, efficiency, storage, financing, education, and renewable energy.
Educate Students with Respect Life Week Curriculum
Our annual Respect Life Week Curriculum includes information for TK-12 about human ecology and caring for our common home with students.
Volunteer to Support a Local Community Garden and Food Collection
Many local organizations like MEND Poverty, Seeds of Hope and Sowing Seeds for Life have community gardens to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to low income families. Other organizations like Food Forward collect produce from backyards for food pantries.
Statements from Archbishop on Creation
Angelus Articles on Creation