Diocesan Staff

Join us to learn how the exponential growth of plastics is threatening the survival of our planet. In this webinar, we hear from Valeria Merino, Vice President for Global Earth Day, about the Earth Day Network's "A World Without Plastic Pollution Earth Day Campaign." Ms. Merino shares the many resources available from the Earth Day network to help us reduce our consumption of plastics. We also unpack the Covenant's Earth Day Program (Beyond a Throwaway Culture: Reduce Waste--Grow Community), and explore how your faith community can celebrate our common home on Earth Day…and every day!

This short video discusses how the parish of Our Mother of Confidence in San Diego, California has taken action to reduce water and energy usage in order to be better stewards of God's creation; these changes have led parish leaders to be more mindful of their natural and financial resources.

This short video discusses the benefits those at Saint James Parish and Academy in Solana Beach, California have experienced since implementing environmentally conscious projects and initiatives in their community. These benefits include facility cost savings, increased opportunities for community building, and an overall sense of improvement in health and wellness among students, staff, and parishioners. 

This one-hour webinar features renowned atmospheric scientist and Christian leader Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and Dr. Dan DiLeo, Catholic Climate Covenant consultant and Assistant Professor at Creighton University. 

 In this webinar, Dr. Hayhoe and Dr. DiLeo explore: 

In this webinar, you will learn about: 

1. How the Dioceses of Toledo and Burlington initiated and inspired Care for Creation activities and successful conferences around Laudato Si’ among the Catholic faithful  
2. Successful programs and activities they have implemented within Catholic schools and parishes that sustain interest and actions related to Care for Creation and Laudato Si’  
3. Proven ways to encourage and motivate fellow parishioners to participate in your efforts 

Download the PowerPoint slides for this presentation below.

On the occasion of World Food Day 2017, Caritas Internationalis released the following statement: Ensure the Right to Food, protect Human Dignity everywhere: make Migration a free choice, not a necessity. The statement acknowledges the phenomenon of forced migration resulting from climate change. It pleads for legal protection for the "environmental migrants" who have been displaced because of food insecurity or lack of other natural resources caused by a changing climate.  

Learn about the Covenant’s newest program, Catholic Energies, and how it can help your parish/school/institution a) reduce energy use in its facilities, b) save money on utility bills, and c) educate about Laudato Si'. Learn how we can live faithfully AND sustainably through our energy choices. 

 Presenters:

• Dan Misleh, Executive Director, Catholic Climate Covenant;
• Dan Last, Chief Operating Officer, Catholic Climate Energies; and
• Bob Simon, Archdiocese of Washington.

2017's Feast of St. Francis program, "Befriend the Wolf: Blessing All God’s Creation", is an invitation to follow St. Francis’ example and open our hearts to all of creation. This webinar unpacks the story of the Wolf of Gubbio as a wonderful and useful metaphor to harmonize our relationship with God's Creation in our modern lives. It also discusses how the 2017 Feast of St. Francis program can be used in your parish, school, and faith community to foster that relationship. Whether you are already planning to use the 2017 Feast of St.

Goodlands is an organization that "creatively applies map making, data systems development, and planning services to promote caring for creation, serving the poor, and improving the state of the world." To view their story map of the majority of Catholic-affiliate properties in the U.S.C.C.B. and the expected impacts of climate change on those properties, click here. 

April 22, 2017 marks the 47th anniversary of Earth Day, a secular celebration that many faith communities have incorporated into their annual calendars. This year, we join with the Earth Day Network to celebrate Earth Day and to embrace our call as Catholics to increase awareness of care for creation and climate change issues. This Earth Day program should be seen as the beginning of an educational campaign to increase creation care and climate literacy within our parishes, schools, and religious communities.