"
Sing to him, sing his praise, proclaim all his wondrous deeds. Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!"
-Psalm 105
CRL's Spiritual Resources
Tools to Deepen Your Prayer Life
Since its inception nearly 100 years ago, strengthening the faith in rural America has been a primary mission of Catholic Rural Life.
The faith in rural areas intimately ties itself to the rhythms of the natural world, and the devotions of those in the countryside take on a unique flavor due to that intermingling. Catholic Rural Life recognizes and honors that distinctness, and has developed a number of spiritual resources to strengthen that faith.
Visit our
Spiritual Resources page for a number of excellent printables, many of them free, created to help continue our founder Archbishop Edwin V. O'Hara's vision of a vibrant Church in rural America.
Longtime CRL Supporter Champions Food Justice
Sr. Christine Pratt & the Intersection of Faith and Food
For longtime CRL supporter and former Board Member Sr. Christine Pratt, food is a pro-life issue, because "food is about keeping people alive".
Sr. Pratt has worked tirelessly to make clear the intersection of Catholicism and food production. As far back as 1
986, Sr. Pratt was working to convince the USCCB to include a section on food and agriculture in their pastoral letter on the economy. Thanks to her campaigning in conjunction with other members of Catholic Rural Life, the bishops did just that.
Read more about this tireless advocate for rural issues here.
Faith & Farming In Wisconsin
Couple Returns to Family Farm to Serve God & Community
Andy and Stephanie Bures are examples of the vibrant families living their faith in rural America. Having grown up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Andy Bures served in the Army, became a social worker, and worked as a 4H agent before returning to the family farm with his wife and three children.
Now a deacon, Bures notes "
It has to do with integrating your spiritual life into your 'normal life,'" he said. "When you are on the farm, it's easy to do that. When you see yourself as a caretaker of God's creation, your vocation in life is to use the resource that God lets you use to make life better for humanity. That's a view that's easy to maintain and develop on the farm."
Paris Agreement on Climate Change Enters Into Force
Upcoming Webinar to Inspire Action for Change
On Friday, Nov. 4, the Parish Agreement came into force - meaning that 190+ countries have pledged to halt the momentum of the climate crisis and work for a sustainable future.
Catholics are part of this moment:
from signing petitions to joining marches to the prayers you offered. The Global Catholic Climate Movement offers a deep prayer of thanks for how these strands of your action have woven a tapestry of climate justice.
On Nov. 14, GCCM will host a webinar with climate leaders to discuss how the Paris Agreement will now move forward. This includes ways to get involved and take action for climate justice into the new year.
Click
here to learn more and register for the webinar.
Pope Francis recently stated his hope that "the objectives outlined by the Paris Agreement do not remain simply as good words, but rather that they are transformed into courageous decisions." Catholics are called to be part of that transformation.
CATHOLIC RURAL LIFE
Our mission is dedicated to addressing and overcoming
the challenges facing rural America: social, economic and ecological.
