Saint Francis of Assisi Ministry

Welcome to the web site for the Saint Francis of Assisi ministry at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Seattle.

The Saint Francis of Assisi ministry brings together individuals who are concerned about the sanctity of the earth and all life that God has placed on it. We meet monthly and also are involved it actions and activities intended for the broader community. Our goal is to educate and inspire everyone towards action to care for our common home.

We meet (currently virtually) the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 PM Pacific time. Contact us if you wish to join us and we will make sure we include you in the monthly invite.  Second-half 2022 meeting dates: Jul 19, Aug 16, Sep 20, Oct 18, Nov 15, Dec 20.

Why join yet another group?

As Christians and Catholics, our faith calls us to do more. Pope Francis asks us to “care for our common home,” the earth in all its beauty in union with all of God’s creatures. Here is a chance to join your environmentalist/animal lover self with your faith self. Pope Francis makes it clear, that these two selves are not distinct; rather, they are one and the same. Please consider joining us.

This may be the right group for you, if…

  • you are concerned about the climate crisis and climate injustice
  • you want to work for solutions to the climate crisis
  • you care about animal welfare
  • you care about treatment of the poor and marginalized
  • you are concerned about the treatment of animals and the environment
  • you wish to explore reducing your environmental footprint
  • you wish to learn about Pope Francis’ Laudato Si encyclical
  • you wish to act upon Pope Francis’ call to “care for our common home”

Our inspiration

When our hearts are authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity excludes nothing and no one. It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings. We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty towards any creature is “contrary to human dignity”. We can hardly consider ourselves to be fully loving if we disregard any aspect of reality: “Peace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes, which cannot be separated and treated individually without once again falling into reductionism”. Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth.

Pope Francis, Laudato Si