How Have you Been Inspired by Laudato Si’?

For the one-year anniversary of Laudato Si’, Catholic Climate Covenant invites us to join them in showing the world how we’ve been Inspired by Laudato Si’. Here’s how some members of the ACCU staff have been inspired:

The ACCU staff have been inspired by Laudato Si’ to conserve water in the office:

Laudato Si’ inspires the ACCU staff to use reusable water bottles or glasses instead of plastic water bottles:

Laudato Si’ inspires ACCU Vice President, Tom Mans, to take the Metro (even now!):

How have you been inspired by Laudato Si‘? Join the campaign!

1. Download either the “Inspired by Laudato Si’, I have…” or the “Inspired by Laudato Si’, I will…” campaign card.
2. Fill-in the card with an action you took that was inspired by the encyclical or an action you will take because of the Pope’s call to care for our common home. For examples, like taking the St. Francis Pledge, see CCC’s website.
3. Take a photo of you holding your card.
4. Post the photo to your Facebook or Twitter. Remember to include the hashtag #CreationCare and to challenge your friends and family by tagging them.

 

St. Joseph’s College Joins EcoMotion to Boost Sustainability Initiatives

Last month, Saint Joseph’s College of Maine announced that the college has begun a new partnership with EcoMotion, a sustainability consulting firm that works with cities, corporations, and universities to help them put into action their sustainability commitments in all aspects of university life, from operations to engagement. The new relationship will help the college to continue advancing their Attainable Sustainable program. So far, the program has seen the signing of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment as well as the achievement of a bronze rating through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System.

These achievements were made possible by the tireless efforts of faculty and staff members, as well as students and the surrounding community. These individuals have also been instrumental in organizing the Sustainability Festival, engagement programs with Eco-Reps and an employee Green Team, and the launching of a Green Revolving Fund, which oversees energy efficiency and community projects.

The new partnership between Saint Joseph’s and EcoMotion has tasked both institutions with conducting a Greenhouse Gas Inventory, devising a Climate Action and Sustainability Plan, and more. EcoMotion’s efforts will also help the College continue to implement their existing plan for climate action, called Sustaining the Promise.

As a response to Pope Francis’ call to care for creation, also known as “our common home”, Saint Joseph’s College is proud and excited to re-energize their commitments to sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate change action and advocacy. Read the full article here!

More Resources: Laudato Si

Looking for more resources on the new encyclical, Laudato Si’?  The USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development have shared the following resources:

• Bulletin Insert: “Praise Be to You, My Lord” – overviews important themes in the encyclical and includes suggestions for prayer and action.
• Discussion Guide on Laudato Si’ – for use in a small group setting, delves more deeply into main themes of Laudato Si’.
• Blog Post: Pope Francis’ New Encyclical—this post on JPHD’s ToGoForth.org blog is the first of several posts on Laudato Si’ during the next several weeks.
• Caring for God’s Creation: Resources for Liturgy, Preaching, and Taking Action – includes resources for preaching and teaching about care for God’s creation.
• Press Release – includes USCCB President Archbishop Kurtz’s “Statement on the Occasion of the Promulgation of Laudato Si’”
• Children’s books by USCCB, in collaboration with Loyola Press, on caring for God’s creation.
• USCCB Environment page—contains additional resources, including backgrounders and links to the U.S. Catholic bishops’ statements on environmental concerns.

Some additional helpful resources include:

• Catholic Climate Covenant—has resources, stories, opportunities for action, the St. Francis Pledge, and a sign-on thank you message to Pope Francis in English and Spanish.
• Catholic Relief Services Pope Francis page—includes stories of how climate change is impacting vulnerable communities around the world with whom CRS works.

Additionally, Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service has shared a helpful glossary of terms used by Pope Francis, while John Allen of Crux has published two articles analyzing the history of the Church’s teachings on the environment and the impact of the encyclical in the U.S.

In light of the encyclical, many Catholic colleges and universities have shared how their Catholic mission drives their commitment to the environment and implementation of sustainability initiatives.

• Loyola University Chicago alumnus Zac Davis wrote a piece on how his alma mater leads the way in sustainability initiatives for America.
• Saint Vincent College shared their sustainability initiatives, inspired by the Benedictine tradition of environmental stewardship.
• University of Saint Francis (IN) campus ministry has shared that they, along with Our Sunday Visitor, will host a conference on campus this fall to discuss and study the encyclical.
• A community of scholars and practitioners gathered at University of St. Thomas (MN) to discuss Human and Natural Ecology: Economic, Political and Cultural Implications, in anticipation of the encyclical.  Visit the Center for Catholic Studies website to learn more and read presentation summaries.

Visit ACCU’s webpage on the release of Laudato Si to learn more!

Laudato Si Release: Act

Earlier today, Pope Francis released his long-awaited encyclical letter, Laudato Si.  We at ACCU are sharing resources and best practices to help our campuses pray for commitment to care for creation, learn about the encyclical and our call to stewardship, and act upon our beliefs to work for the common good.

˜ACT˜

ACCU member institutions have acted upon their call to care for creation through a number of sustainability and environmental justice initiatives.

• The Catholic Climate Covenant, with support from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities, and the Catholic Campus Ministry Association, have produced Sustainability and Catholic Higher Education: A Toolkit for Mission Integration (PDF; 3MB).  Through mission-based initiatives, the Toolkit offers practical suggestions to inspire individuals, families, schools, parishes, and dioceses to follow the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change’s St. Francis Pledge.
• 29 Catholic colleges and universities have taken the St. Francis Pledge, sponsored by the Catholic Climate Covenant, committing to living out the value of care for creation through reflection, action, and advocacy.  These campuses include: Aquinas College (MI), Cabrini College, Chestnut Hill College, College of Saint Benedict, Creighton University, Gonzaga University, John Carroll University, Lewis University, Loyola University Chicago, Marquette University, Mercyhurst University, Mount St. Joseph University, Neumann University, Rosemont College, Saint Anselm College, Saint Francis University, Saint John’s University (MN), Saint Joseph’s College (IN), Saint Mary’s College of California, Saint Michael’s College, Salve Regina University, Seattle University, St. Thomas More College, Stonehill College, University of Notre Dame, University of Portland, Villanova University, Viterbo University, and Xavier University.
• The Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability at Seattle University lives out a core tenet of the university mission.  The Center has undertaken a number of initiatives, including supporting faculty and student research through fellowships.  Dr. Trileigh Tucker, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Seattle University, and one of CEJS’s first Faculty Fellows, developed a teaching resource on environmental justice, compiling syllabi, assessment methods, and foundational documents used frequently in courses on environmental justice.
• Benedictine University in Illinois has received a $46,000 Food Scrap Composting Revitalization and Advancement Program (F-SCRAP) grant from the state to allow for the diversion of food scraps generated in the campus cafeteria and other buildings.
• In spring 2015, Cabrini College held a conference, “Faith, Climate, and Health”, to examine how climate change affects the health of the most vulnerable citizens.
• At the University of Portland, professors Dr. Russell Butkus and Dr. Steven Kolmes, teach a course entitled “Theology in Ecological Perspective”, exploring Catholic and Christian teaching and environmental science.

Read more ways ACCU member campuses have undertaken sustainability initiatives on the ACCU website.  Check back frequently as we will post new updates and ways that ACCU campuses react to the Laudato Si to the blog!

Marquette Signs St. Francis Pledge

Marquette University’s president Michael Lovell signed the St. Francis Pledge on Earth Day. The St. Francis Pledge is a promise and commitment promoted by the Catholic Climate Covenant. Individuals, families, groups, and institutions can take the pledge, which includes the undertaking of prayer, learning, assessment, action, and advocacy. Marquette instituted the Pledge after three years of work, and now students, faculty, and staff plan to continue working in order to fulfill their commitment. One major project includes the creation of a sustainability office, which will develop a consciousness of sustainability throughout the entire university, rather than isolating those efforts within the facilities offices. Read more about Marquette’s pledge here.