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Saint James Cathedral
Social Outreach
& Advocacy
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Welcome to this special edition of the St. James Social Outreach and Advocacy Newsletter!
This week,
Laudato Si' turns five! This is a wonderful opportunity for celebration: of the world, of each other, and of the many gifts God gives us every moment. In this profoundly troubling time when darkness and death seem at their mightiest, we are reminded that "all things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us" (
Laudato Si' 14). We hear now the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor - and we can all respond, as Pope Francis tells us, according to each of our talents.
This week is the time to step up, to be "instruments of God for the care of creation" (LS 14) to bring about a better future, and to leave no one behind in doing so. All, as it were, is a "loving caress of God" (LS 84). This includes every one of our brothers and sisters, and all creatures, great and small.
Much joy to you this week! Be blessed, and be interconnected,
Luke Henkel, Assistant, Social Outreach and Advocacy
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Pope Francis Invites the Church to Celebrate Laudato Si' Week
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Watch this video of Pope Francis, in which he invites all people to celebrate this fifth anniversary of the publication of his encyclical
Laudato Si'.
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May 19 Laudato Si' Celebration:
Urgent Appeal for Action
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Join the St. James Care for Creation team to celebrate Laudato Si' Week.
On Tuesday, May 19, 7pm-8pm,
we will host an online program from the Catholic Climate Covenant to mark the anniversary of this revolutionary encyclical, and enter deeper into our reverence and love for our Common Home.
This program includes prayers, readings, a short video, discussion questions, and suggested activities.
Information and registration, email
Patrick Barredo, Director of Social Outreach and Advocacy.
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St. James Covenant:
Caring For Our Common Home at the Cathedral
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On Earth Day last month, the St. James Care for Creation committee announced the sacred Cathedral Covenant. This pledge, a five-step commitment to living out our covenant with the Creator, is the cathedral's way of reverencing and caring for the greatest gift given to us by our Creator God: our world.
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The Time is Now: Australian
Bishops & Leaders Call us All to Action
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Watch this short reflection on Laudato Si', and share with others on what we are called to do to to care for our common home. Jacqui RĂ©mond, Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia, shares along with the Australian bishops.
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Suzanne Lee, Director of Family Ministries at St. James, reflects on Vincent Miller's article on old growth forests and how they live Laudato Si'. "The sheer, tangled abundance of life is shocking..."
In his encyclical on the environment, Laudato si,' Pope Francis encourages us to develop an "attitude of the heart" that allows us to approach life with "serene attentiveness" and to be "fully present. He also calls for an "intense dialogue" between religion and science...
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Last month EarthBeat published the following Earth Day op-ed by Luke Henkel, St. James Assistant for Social Outreach and Advocacy. It takes on a unique timeliness as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si'.
Questions have taken over these days...
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Join Laudato Si' Week with the
Global Catholic Climate Movement
Webinar Series
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Zoom Session Themes include Eco-spirituality, Sustainability, Advocacy, and Social Action in Times of a Pandemic
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Laudato Si'
tells us everything is connected. When essential farm workers do not receive or are denied the protection they need during this pandemic, their risk of getting sick increases - and this affects the food supply everywhere.
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Closing
Prayer:
An
Ecological Examen for the Earth
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Spend time with the following video reflection at the beginning of the day, the end, or any time in between. Where was God today in creation around me? Have I cherished God's gifts?
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