Parishes hope grass-roots efforts to care for creation spur impact
September 13, 2024 at 2:46 p.m.
Winners of St. Anthony of Padua Parish's youth group poster contest pose with the judges. From left, first prize winners, Joseph Bacuilima and Fredy Marin; judges Tom McGeachen of the Respect Life Ministry and Jason Hernandez from Better Beginnings; and second prize winners Lindsay Castro and Jose Jaramillo. Courtesy photoDuring the September 1 – October 4 Season of Cre ation, Catholics are invited to “To Hope and Act with Creation,” using two papal encyclicals as a springboard for action.
“No action is too small or insignificant,” said Msgr. Vincent Gartland, a retired priest of the Diocese who remains active in environmental justice ministry, particularly in the parishes of the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley: St. James, Pennington; St. Alphonsus, Hopewell, and St. George, Titusville.
“The Season of Creation is a grass-roots movement meant to encourage grass-roots action,” he said. “Small actions and local awareness activities are meant to create a global base of support for future national and global initiatives to care for the earth.”
Pope Francis has laid down clear foundations for the Church’s call to environmental stewardship.
In 2015, Pope Francis published “Laudato Si’,” his encyclical on the care of creation for all people. In “Laudate Deum,” an apostolic exhortation published October 2023, Pope Francis provides a new call to take more vigorous action to care for creation. He illustrates the magnitude of the effect of any actions when he explains that, in the United States, the per capita emissions are seven times those of the average of poorest countries. He notes that “a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact. As a result, along with indispensable political decisions, we would be making progress along the way to genuine care for one another.”
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A Season of Creation globe display in the sanctuary of St. George Church, Titusville, was blessed Aug. 31. Carol Olivieri photo'We have to do something'
The call to hope and act with creation has not been lost upon the people of the Diocese of Trenton. One of the longest-serving groups focused on this mandate is in St. Anselm Parish in Tinton Falls. In 2018, parishioners Elizabeth Domigan and Monika Mazurczyk read The New York Times article “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change” and said “We have to do something.”
In October 2018, they started weekly Saturday meetings discussing climate topics. Later, they formed the Creation Care Team. Despite having to stop in-person activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, they continued to educate through their Facebook page and bulletin notices. Throughout the Season of Creation, the parish has multiple events scheduled throughout each week.
The Creation Care Team demonstrates the ecumenical nature of the care of creation, as St. Anselm has worked closely with nearby St. George Greek Orthodox Parish in Ocean Township. St. Anselm’s participates in St. George’s Vespers for the Care of Creation to mark the beginning of the Orthodox liturgical year on Sept. 1, the start of the Season of Creation. The two parishes collaborate on a community garden that provides produce for Lunch Break, a nonprofit in Red Bank working to break the cycle of poverty. A number of other parishes in the Diocese have vegetable gardens that support local food banks and soup kitchens.
A challenge all ministries face is how to model behavior that respects creation. How can coffee and donuts after Mass demonstrate care of creation? St. Anselm’s Creation Care Team has hosted screenings of the films “Common Ground” and “The Letter” with meals afterward. Rather than going the route of using disposable plates, cups, and flatware, team members bought items at thrift stores and wash the dishes.
“People step up and ask ‘How can we help?’ That’s the spirit of St. Anselm’s,” says Maryrose Little, Creation Care Team member.
The link with social justice
Lia Romero’s father was an environmental biologist and, growing up, she got to travel in the tropics and see the effects of environmental degradation. “I was blessed to see this in front of me,” she said.
More recently, she has spent time at the U.S.-Mexico border, where other country’s climate factors such as drought and hurricanes have spurred many people to flee to the U.S. These experiences were “eye opening, tragic and haunting.” Romero was motivated by the suffering of so many children. “Now is the time for me to focus on social justice,” she said.
That opportunity came through St. Joan of Arc Parish in Marlton. The pastor, Msgr. Richard LaVerghetta, learned of her work at the border and wanted to form a social justice ministry. Love in Action is the result. It is an umbrella ministry dedicated to Life, Justice, and Creation, and it weaves together the work of all parish ministries.
SueAnn Jeral, pastoral minister of Adult Faith Formation, said, “People are hungering for social justice,” and activities focused on creation have garnered the most interest. Referring to “Laudato Si’,” she added, “Protecting creation is not optional.”
A common way for ministries to educate themselves or offer education in the parish is to host screenings of the documentary “The Letter.” This film recounts the visits of two marine biologists from Hawaii, a leader of an Indigenous community in Brazil, a farmer from Senegal, and a climate activist from India to Pope Francis as he writes “Laudato Si’.” This has helped people understand “Laudato Si’,” sparked conversations, and led to other activities and projects.
Terrence Thompson of the Social Justice Committee in St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Hightstown describes what happened when they showed the film to the youth group. The film draws clear lines connecting environmental issues and social issues. Drought leads to migration. Deforestation in the Amazon is driving people from the land that sustained them.
“This was an eye-opener for the youth,” said Thompson. It led to a poster contest and a field trip to Tulpehaking Nature Center, Hamilton, to see the relationship between wetlands and the local community.
Having lived overseas for more than 30 years, Thompson brings a unique perspective to the care of creation. He saw the effects of climate change and pollution in developing countries. People would be unable to access health care when a severe weather event flooded the hospital building, knocked out electricity and water, and blocked the roads leading to the hospital. He asked, “What can I do, having this concern in my heart?” He read “Laudato Si’” and had an “aha moment.”
Program support is available
Groups throughout the Diocese do not have to work alone or create their own programs and materials. Thompson coordinates an informal network of ministries focused on the Care of Creation, the environment and social justice. They have been meeting online monthly since February. On Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, they will have their first in-person meeting at St. Anthony of Padua to share information, resources and inspiration. Groups or individuals interested in participating should contact Thompson at [email protected].
Rita Read of Called to CARE (Concern, Action, Respect for the Earth) in the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley discussed other resources available. Nationally, Catholic Climate Covenant is a resource for all Christians who are working to care for creation. In 2006 even before “Laudato Si’,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops helped establish CCC, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Catholic Climate Covenant has 20 national partners, including Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities. CCC offers a model for Creation Care teams, resources for programs for religious education and youth groups, prayers to be used in liturgies, blessings for gardens or the earth, songs, and suggestions for homilies.
This stained glass window in St. George Church, Titusville, depicts the Creation story. Carol Olivieri photoIn the parishes of the Hopewell Valley, Called to CARE started in 2022 when Pat Hennessy put an announcement in the bulletin asking about parishioners’ interest in the environment. That led to the formation of a group that now has committees for faith sharing, education, recycling and energy. Integrating efforts into other parish groups, Called to CARE has had talks with the Senior Group, hosted a program on composting, and participated in the Religious Ed Summer Intensive Program. The energy committee has worked with the parish to lower energy consumption by adjusting the thermostats in parish buildings. The recycling committee is working with the parish to address the use of plastics and other disposables for refreshments.
Through the work of Called to CARE, the Hopewell Valley community was one of 16 runners-up in Interfaith Power and Light’s national Cool Congregations Challenge in the Community Inspiration category.
The Franciscan Earth Care Ministry in Nativity Parish, Fair Haven, started by focusing on the landscape of the parish. With the help of parishioners and the parish’s Knights of Columbus Council, members created native plantings. Kathleen Hendrick, who leads the ministry, describes it as a “gentle unfolding. Small efforts have a big impact.” Like many other groups, ministry members hope to gently raise awareness and be a role model for others of what they could do at their homes, as well as reach out to other parish groups, such as the parish’s religious education program.
As Msgr. Gartland reflects: “We are interconnected and need to remain connected to one another. Every action, regardless of how small, contributes to the global effort to care for creation.”
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Winners of St. Anthony of Padua Parish's youth group poster contest pose with the judges. From left, first prize winners, Joseph Bacuilima and Fredy Marin; judges Tom McGeachen of the Respect Life Ministry and Jason Hernandez from Better Beginnings; and second prize winners Lindsay Castro and Jose Jaramillo. Courtesy photoDuring the September 1 – October 4 Season of Cre ation, Catholics are invited to “To Hope and Act with Creation,” using two papal encyclicals as a springboard for action.
“No action is too small or insignificant,” said Msgr. Vincent Gartland, a retired priest of the Diocese who remains active in environmental justice ministry, particularly in the parishes of the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley: St. James, Pennington; St. Alphonsus, Hopewell, and St. George, Titusville.
“The Season of Creation is a grass-roots movement meant to encourage grass-roots action,” he said. “Small actions and local awareness activities are meant to create a global base of support for future national and global initiatives to care for the earth.”
Pope Francis has laid down clear foundations for the Church’s call to environmental stewardship.
In 2015, Pope Francis published “Laudato Si’,” his encyclical on the care of creation for all people. In “Laudate Deum,” an apostolic exhortation published October 2023, Pope Francis provides a new call to take more vigorous action to care for creation. He illustrates the magnitude of the effect of any actions when he explains that, in the United States, the per capita emissions are seven times those of the average of poorest countries. He notes that “a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact. As a result, along with indispensable political decisions, we would be making progress along the way to genuine care for one another.”
A Season of Creation globe display in the sanctuary of St. George Church, Titusville, was blessed Aug. 31. Carol Olivieri photo'We have to do something'
The call to hope and act with creation has not been lost upon the people of the Diocese of Trenton. One of the longest-serving groups focused on this mandate is in St. Anselm Parish in Tinton Falls. In 2018, parishioners Elizabeth Domigan and Monika Mazurczyk read The New York Times article “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change” and said “We have to do something.”
In October 2018, they started weekly Saturday meetings discussing climate topics. Later, they formed the Creation Care Team. Despite having to stop in-person activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, they continued to educate through their Facebook page and bulletin notices. Throughout the Season of Creation, the parish has multiple events scheduled throughout each week.
The Creation Care Team demonstrates the ecumenical nature of the care of creation, as St. Anselm has worked closely with nearby St. George Greek Orthodox Parish in Ocean Township. St. Anselm’s participates in St. George’s Vespers for the Care of Creation to mark the beginning of the Orthodox liturgical year on Sept. 1, the start of the Season of Creation. The two parishes collaborate on a community garden that provides produce for Lunch Break, a nonprofit in Red Bank working to break the cycle of poverty. A number of other parishes in the Diocese have vegetable gardens that support local food banks and soup kitchens.
A challenge all ministries face is how to model behavior that respects creation. How can coffee and donuts after Mass demonstrate care of creation? St. Anselm’s Creation Care Team has hosted screenings of the films “Common Ground” and “The Letter” with meals afterward. Rather than going the route of using disposable plates, cups, and flatware, team members bought items at thrift stores and wash the dishes.
“People step up and ask ‘How can we help?’ That’s the spirit of St. Anselm’s,” says Maryrose Little, Creation Care Team member.
The link with social justice
Lia Romero’s father was an environmental biologist and, growing up, she got to travel in the tropics and see the effects of environmental degradation. “I was blessed to see this in front of me,” she said.
More recently, she has spent time at the U.S.-Mexico border, where other country’s climate factors such as drought and hurricanes have spurred many people to flee to the U.S. These experiences were “eye opening, tragic and haunting.” Romero was motivated by the suffering of so many children. “Now is the time for me to focus on social justice,” she said.
That opportunity came through St. Joan of Arc Parish in Marlton. The pastor, Msgr. Richard LaVerghetta, learned of her work at the border and wanted to form a social justice ministry. Love in Action is the result. It is an umbrella ministry dedicated to Life, Justice, and Creation, and it weaves together the work of all parish ministries.
SueAnn Jeral, pastoral minister of Adult Faith Formation, said, “People are hungering for social justice,” and activities focused on creation have garnered the most interest. Referring to “Laudato Si’,” she added, “Protecting creation is not optional.”
A common way for ministries to educate themselves or offer education in the parish is to host screenings of the documentary “The Letter.” This film recounts the visits of two marine biologists from Hawaii, a leader of an Indigenous community in Brazil, a farmer from Senegal, and a climate activist from India to Pope Francis as he writes “Laudato Si’.” This has helped people understand “Laudato Si’,” sparked conversations, and led to other activities and projects.
Terrence Thompson of the Social Justice Committee in St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Hightstown describes what happened when they showed the film to the youth group. The film draws clear lines connecting environmental issues and social issues. Drought leads to migration. Deforestation in the Amazon is driving people from the land that sustained them.
“This was an eye-opener for the youth,” said Thompson. It led to a poster contest and a field trip to Tulpehaking Nature Center, Hamilton, to see the relationship between wetlands and the local community.
Having lived overseas for more than 30 years, Thompson brings a unique perspective to the care of creation. He saw the effects of climate change and pollution in developing countries. People would be unable to access health care when a severe weather event flooded the hospital building, knocked out electricity and water, and blocked the roads leading to the hospital. He asked, “What can I do, having this concern in my heart?” He read “Laudato Si’” and had an “aha moment.”
Program support is available
Groups throughout the Diocese do not have to work alone or create their own programs and materials. Thompson coordinates an informal network of ministries focused on the Care of Creation, the environment and social justice. They have been meeting online monthly since February. On Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, they will have their first in-person meeting at St. Anthony of Padua to share information, resources and inspiration. Groups or individuals interested in participating should contact Thompson at [email protected].
Rita Read of Called to CARE (Concern, Action, Respect for the Earth) in the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley discussed other resources available. Nationally, Catholic Climate Covenant is a resource for all Christians who are working to care for creation. In 2006 even before “Laudato Si’,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops helped establish CCC, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Catholic Climate Covenant has 20 national partners, including Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities. CCC offers a model for Creation Care teams, resources for programs for religious education and youth groups, prayers to be used in liturgies, blessings for gardens or the earth, songs, and suggestions for homilies.
This stained glass window in St. George Church, Titusville, depicts the Creation story. Carol Olivieri photoIn the parishes of the Hopewell Valley, Called to CARE started in 2022 when Pat Hennessy put an announcement in the bulletin asking about parishioners’ interest in the environment. That led to the formation of a group that now has committees for faith sharing, education, recycling and energy. Integrating efforts into other parish groups, Called to CARE has had talks with the Senior Group, hosted a program on composting, and participated in the Religious Ed Summer Intensive Program. The energy committee has worked with the parish to lower energy consumption by adjusting the thermostats in parish buildings. The recycling committee is working with the parish to address the use of plastics and other disposables for refreshments.
Through the work of Called to CARE, the Hopewell Valley community was one of 16 runners-up in Interfaith Power and Light’s national Cool Congregations Challenge in the Community Inspiration category.
The Franciscan Earth Care Ministry in Nativity Parish, Fair Haven, started by focusing on the landscape of the parish. With the help of parishioners and the parish’s Knights of Columbus Council, members created native plantings. Kathleen Hendrick, who leads the ministry, describes it as a “gentle unfolding. Small efforts have a big impact.” Like many other groups, ministry members hope to gently raise awareness and be a role model for others of what they could do at their homes, as well as reach out to other parish groups, such as the parish’s religious education program.
As Msgr. Gartland reflects: “We are interconnected and need to remain connected to one another. Every action, regardless of how small, contributes to the global effort to care for creation.”