September 1-October 4th... marks the annual Interfaith Season of Creation, inspired by Pope Francis and his encyclical Laudato Si. As Pope Francis stated: “You are called to care for creation not only as responsible citizens, but also as followers of Christ.” Please join us in prayer for our world and all who dwell on it. (Another copy is below that can be download to your phone, tablet or computer.)
Season of Creation 2020 Prayer
Creator of Life, At Your word, the Earth brought forth plants yielding seed and trees of every kind bearing fruit. The rivers, mountains, minerals, seas and forests sustained life. The eyes of all looked to You to satisfy the needs of every living thing. And throughout time the Earth has sustained life. Through the planetary cycles of days and seasons, renewal and growth, you open your hand to give creatures our food in the proper time. In your Wisdom, you granted a Sabbath, a blessed time to rest in gratitude for all that you have given, a time to liberate ourselves from vicious consumption, a time to allow the land and all creatures to rest from the burden of production.
But these days our living pushes the planet beyond its limits. Our demands for growth, and our never-ending cycle of production and consumption are exhausting our world. The forests are leached, the topsoil erodes, the fields fail, the deserts advance, the seas acidify, the storms intensify. We have not allowed the land to observe her Sabbath, and the Earth is struggling to be renewed.
During this Season of Creation, we ask you to grant us courage to observe a Sabbath for our planet. Strengthen us with the faith to trust in your providence. Inspire us with the creativity to share what we have been given. Teach us to be satisfied with enough. And as we proclaim a Jubilee for the Earth, send Your Holy Spirit to renew the face of creation.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. Amen
- NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME on our committee! Come and find out what we can do together to reflect on the Church's teachings on justice! - Our goal: To build awareness about current justice issues (poverty, homelessness, immigration, etc.) and how we respond as Catholics living out our faith. Social justice is a constitutive dimension of Catholic Christianity.
Click on the arrow above to download this prayer to your phone, tablet or computer.
Neighborhood Friendly Visitor Program: At the Advent Social Justice Forum on Senior Issues, our speaker outlined several programs for Seniors and their caregivers that the Diocese offers. One such program is the Neighborhood Friendly Visitor Program, a community based program that provides weekly visitors to elders and disabled adults. To become a friendly visitor or find out how you might access this program for a neighbor or relative, call Linda A’VantDeishinni at 2746783. The Diocese also offers a training/support program for caregivers.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Are you or someone you know experiencing Domes- tic Violence (verbal, emotional, psychological or physical abuse)? One in three to four women have experienced some form of physical violence. Children exposed to domes- tic violence are negatively impacted in countless ways. Although to a lesser degree, men also are victims of domestic, emotional and psychological abuse. Let us help! The Office of Life and Family is offering women free counseling (as appropriate), emotional support, and advice from a Catholic perspective, re- sources, and referrals to outside agencies/Catholic Counselors as appropriate. Maybe you just want to talk! For more information, please call 4012782518 or 401-278-2517.
Useful resources related to our forum in March, 2019 related to Care for our Environment Catholic Climate Covenant: Online site that includes the U.S. Catholic Climate Declaration and has many of resources related to climate change. https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/
Our Presenter on Care for our Environment was Bill Patenaude. His resources: www.catholicecology.net Bill Patenaude's Novel: A Printer's Choice (web site: aprinterschoice.com)
