Earth Day 2009

Pope Benedict XVI calls Catholics to action
 

On April 22, 1970, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, founded Earth Day after seven years of trying to make the environment a political issue.

In the 29 years since the first Earth Day was held, both the United States and the world have become more environmentally aware. Although Senator Nelson is no longer alive to witness his dreams being realized (he died in 2005), others have picked up where he left off.

Just a few weeks ago, in his Easter message to the world, Pope Benedict XVI called for action. “Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions that can recreate a strong alliance between humankind and the earth. A decisive ‘yes’ is needed to protect creation and also a strong commitment to invert those trends which risk leading to irreversibly degrading situations."

In addition to Pope Benedict, many U.S. Catholic bishops and religious figures believe Catholics need to immediately respond to climate change for the good of all humankind, to prevent further destruction of God’s earth and to give priority to the poor, as they are most negatively affected by climate change.

In response to these calls for action, the Catholic community has launched an initiative called the Catholic Climate Covenant. The Covenant calls for Catholics to come up with innovative ways to bring forth positive change to preserve and protect the earth. Organizational sponsors of the Covenant include:

• The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

• Catholic Charities USA with 7,000 community-based service agencies

• The Catholic Health Association of the United States serving one in six Americans in hospitals

• Catholic Relief Services reaching more than 80 million people in more than 100 nations

• The National Catholic Education Association, the largest private education system in the world

• The Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious representing dozens of religious communities who lead with a sense of mission and real world examples of how to care for people in poverty and for God’s gift of creation.

The Covenant has also launched a new Web site, www.catholicclimatecovenant.org, which offers Catholics an opportunity to take the St. Francis Pledge and lists ways in which Catholics can learn to “tread lightly and act boldly" by reducing their own carbon footprint.

In addition to this national initiative, many local Catholics within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee have already taken action to combat climate change.

• Students from Alverno College participate in service days at the local Urban Ecology Center http://www.urbanecologycenter.org/.

• Sr. Janet Weyker and her fellow Dominican Sisters run the Eco Justice Center in Racine. View their segment from the archbishop’s TV show at http://www.livingourfaith.net/Season2/LOFvideo/Week6/VideoSegment2.htm.

• A local high school, St. Thomas More, has begun pursuing alternative energies to power its school. Watch the Living Our Faith feature on Thomas More’s green initiatives at http://www.livingourfaith.net/Season2/LOFvideo/Week6/VideoSegment1.htm.

• On Saturday, April 25, 2009, from noon to 3 p.m., Blessed Trinity Parish (4717 N. 38th St., Milwaukee) will hold an Earth Care Resource Fair to inform people how to use resources to save money and the earth.

Besides those mentioned, many other Catholics from within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the world over are striving to become good stewards of God’s earth. Director Rob Shelledy and his department, Social Justice Ministry, are closely connected with the archdiocesan efforts to protect and preserve the earth, as well as assist the impoverished who are greatly impacted by the planet's plight. To find out more about ways you can help, visit the Social Justice Ministry’s web page http://www.archmil.org/aboutus/dept.asp?ID=472. 

To see additional photos of Earth Day 2009, follow this link to the Living Our Faith Photo Gallery.

Article by Gillian Lester-George
Cover picture (Alverno students participating in a service day for the Urban Ecology Center) submitted by the Urban Ecology Center