Why Join?

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 treatment of animals and the environment.
  
• you are curious about possibly giving up animal products for Lent (or maybe even for good).
• you wish to explore reducing your environmental footprint.
• you wish to learn about Pope Francis’ Laudato Si encyclical.
• you want to learn more about the life and teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi.
• 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