Saint Francis of Assisi Ministry

Paul

  • Season of Creation

    September marks the end of summer and back to school. September also marks the start of the Season of Creation. September 1st is also the World Day of Prayer for Creation as Pope Francis has proclaimed: Each year, particularly since… Continue reading

  • Look to the past for a path to a better future

    Many will tell you that we can’t possibly stop using oil, gas and plastic. We can’t possibly stop spending on throwaway stuff because that is what our society thrives on. We can’t possibly adopt regenerative farming practices and stop clearcutting… Continue reading

  • A Reality Check from the IPCC

    Created by the UN and the Meteorological Organization in 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC was created to provide the world’s policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change. Last week, the IPCC released its Sixth Assessment… Continue reading

  • This or that?

    You want to do the right thing for the environment. You care about the climate crisis but sometimes the right choice isn’t clear.  You know the benefits of using a reusable water bottle and your own coffee mug, but should… Continue reading

  • A prayer for our earth

    This week, I would like to offer a prayer that Pope Francis included at the end of his Laudato Si encyclical (tinyurl.com/ReadLaudatoSi): A prayer for our earth. All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universeand in the smallest of… Continue reading

  • Grandparents can help build a better future

    On Sunday, July 25, Pope Francis shared his message for the First World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. In this message, which you can read in full at tinyurl.com/lia-grandparents, Pope Francis addresses grandparents and the elderly, telling them they… Continue reading

  • Cardinal Cupich on Laudato Si

    Last week I attended the “Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church” conference, held virtually and sponsored by the Catholic Climate Covenant and Creighton University. The keynote speaker was Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago. This week,… Continue reading

  • Greta Thunberg

    It’s difficult to point to a single global leader on the climate. Al Gore, former vice president of the US was one of the early climate leaders and continues to lead on the climate. Catholics (and quite a few non-Catholics,… Continue reading

  • Plastic-free July

    Plastic-free July is a global movement to reduce usage of plastic, especially single-use plastics every year during the month of July. A great resource for going plastic free is plasticfreejuly.org which asks us “Will you be part of Plastic Free… Continue reading

  • The Pacific NW Heatwave and Climate Change

    Three record-breaking temperatures on three consecutive days in Seattle: 102, 104, and culminating on Monday: 108 degrees Fahrenheit. And compared to our Pacific NW neighbors, we had it easy: in Portland, it reached 116! And in Lytton, BC, on Monday,… Continue reading