Creation Care Ministry

“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up? … Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us.”  These words from Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home”, motivate the Creation Care Ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas.

The mission of the Creation Care Ministry is “To promote the joyful stewardship of our earth though spirituality, simplicity and sustainability.”  Since our beginning in 2007, the Creation Care Ministry has encouraged sustainable actions in the parish and school.  Replacing older lights with LEDs, installing more efficient heat pumps in place of the old steam boiler, and addressing air leaks have helped the parish reduce energy use.  A commercial dishwasher allows the school and parish to replace disposable dishes with durable dishware.

Through various workshops, presentations, and “Green Corner” bulletin tips, parishioners have been encouraged to examine their use of natural resources and reduce their personal environmental impact.

As Pope Francis points out in Laudato Si’, caring for Creation also means caring for our local and global neighbors.  There have been multiple presentations over the years on various topics such as mass transportation, food insecurity, Christian simplicity, and environmental racism that connect environmental concerns with social concerns.

But caring for Creation goes deeper than recycling and reducing energy.  Our faith teaches us that Creation is a gift from God.  Pope Francis affirmed the annual celebration on September 1st as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and made the Season of Creation (from September 1st to October 4th) an official part of the church calendar.  At St. Thomas Aquinas, the Season of Creation has been celebrated since 2016 through prayer services, displays in the narthex, and at weekend liturgies.  A Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation in honor of St. Francis, led by members of the Creation Care Ministry, was held at Marian University on the feast of St. Francis to honor and learn from the saint on the 800th anniversary of his song of praise, the Canticle of the Creatures.

In 2021, the Laudato Si’ Action Platform was introduced by the Vatican as a global initiative to help Catholic institutions take concrete actions to protect our common home.  St. Thomas Aquinas was one of the first parishes to enroll in the platform, which was officially launched during the Season of Creation in 2022.  After developing a parish reflection and an initial action plan, the Creation Care Ministry, along with the Parish Council and other parishioners, developed a comprehensive action plan which will act as a roadmap for future actions.  In that action plan, both the parish and school made commitments in the four focus areas of Ecological Spirituality, Ecological Education, Community Engagement, and Facilities and Operations:

  • Ecological Spirituality: The parish and school commit to offering regular opportunities for spiritual growth and reflection related to creation care and ecological conversion. We seek to recognize God through Creation and to see God in each of us.
  • Ecological Education: The parish and school commit to providing opportunities for education about sustainable living and other environmental issues.
  • Community Engagement: The parish and school commit to providing ways to serve our local and global neighbors, especially the poor and vulnerable, and to collaborate with other organizations that care for our common home.
  • Facilities and Operations: The parish and school commit to identifying a path to become carbon neutral in energy use through exploring energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Sustainability will be a consideration in all parish and school operations.

The Laudato Si’ parish Reflection and Action Plans, along with many suggestions for how parishioners can “respond to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor”, can all be found on the Creation Care Ministry section of the parish website at https://www.staindy.org/church/creation-care-ministry/.

Everyone can be a part of the Creation Care Ministry!  Take some time to experience the gift of Creation.  Examine your daily habits – what changes can you make to live more sustainably?  Become more aware of environmental issues and their impact.  Participate in prayer services and educational events sponsored by the Creation Care Ministry.  Share your ideas about future educational topics – what would you like more information on?  And if you would like to be involved in a more structured way, we welcome more members, either on the ministry team or by helping with any of the specific projects listed in the comprehensive action plan.

Share your ideas with us by emailing us at stacreationcare@gmail.com.