Reflections on Water is an adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises focused on water. Published by the Christian Life Community, this guide is meant to provide opportunities for communal reflection on concepts like structural sin, suffering, and resurrection as they relate to water.
A Day of Prayer: A Faith Reflection on Climate Change is a resource originally developed by the Carmelites for World Environment Day in June 2009, but is still quite relevant and useful to those who may wish to develop a prayer service for their group
“Experiencing the Divine in Creation,” by James Profit, S.J., Executive Director of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre at Guelph is a prayerful reflection on experiencing the spiritual within the natural world.
The Ignatian Peace Action (originally held from Easter to Pentecost) invited Jesuit communities, ministries and institutions to pray for peace with creation. Parishes, schools, and organizations are still encouraged to utilize resources and the Prayer for the Environmental Common Good found on the website to dedicate a day of prayer to this important theme:
Climate Change: A Catholic Response Study Guide from the National Catholic Rural Life Congress is designed to help you apply Catholic social teaching to climate change and prudent energy use.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education provides resources, professional development, and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research.
The Environmental Justice Resource Manual, published by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, provides parishes, schools and diocesan groups with prayer experiences, reflection on Catholic Social Tradition, meditations and other activities that foster a rich exploration of our faith’s tradition respect for all creation. Order this resource through
Catholic Relief Services’ Going Global with Youth program offers educators tools designing curricula concerning several issues affecting the world including Stewardship and Care of Creation. This website provides guides and activities to facilitate student engagement on issues such as environmental justice, water, and environmental education, as well as offering links to faith-based environmental resources.
Earth Day Resources on Caring for Creation from CRS — April 22 marks Earth Day, a day for reflection on and appreciation of creation. To help your school or parish mark this day, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has a wide array of resources for you to use to educate young people about our responsibility to care for creation, a gift from God. Learn more about how CRS is responding to climate change.
Care for all Creation is a six session program offered by Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center to help parishes explore the connection between faith and stewardship. The process includes prayer, education, Catholic social teaching, analysis and discussion. It covers topics such as global warming, water, social, economic and environmental dependence and greening parishes. Order through the website.
Exploring the Environment, sponsored by NASA and the Center for Educational Technologies at Wheeling University, is a an educational program designed to teach students about the environment through problem-based learning
Coping with Water Scarcityis a brief report issued by the UN Water Thematic Initiatives office that presents insights concerning the impact of water scarcity in developing countries.
In a beautiful commentary titled A Catholic Stewardship of the Environment- A Renewed Vision, National Catholic Rural Life Conference Executive Director, Jim Ennis, considers how spending time in God’s Creation helps us recognize that there is a purpose in all of creation, and we can learn much if we pause to reflect upon God’s creation.
Assess
Low Impact Living’s Environmental Impact Calculator “shows not only the carbon footprint but also energy, water, wastewater, trash, and storm water runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle. In addition, it recommends projects based on your specific inputs that can save you money, reduce your environmental impact or in many cases both at the same time!”
Cool Congregations offers an on-line calculator to estimate your congregation’s carbon footprint. It offers a snapshot of your carbon footprint, allowing you to look at the best places to lower your footprint and become more energy smart. (They also offer a calculator for households).
Ecological Footprint Quiz from EarthDay.net helps young people measure their individual impact on nature based on personal habits and place of origin.
Hamilton County Envrionmental Services, part of the Ohio Envrionmental Protection Agencies, offers “Summa Canisters” to people who have an air quality complaint. The canister can be used to get an instant air quality sample. After taking the reading, ECES sends an inspector to collect the sample and to investigate the cause of the problem. Check with your local Environmental Protection Agency to see if they have a similar program.
Act
Check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s website to learn more about what you can do to live the 3 R’s — recycle, reduce, reuse.
Visit the Catholic Coalition for Climate Change’s What You Can Do page for more concrete examples of things you can do to improve the environment.
Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint and buy offsets through organizations like Native Energy, Carbonfund.org, and TerraPass.
Organize programs like Rockhurst University’s Polar Walk Week of Service that raises money for weatherization projects in local communities.
Begin a low-income weatherization project of your own with help from the U.S. Department of Energy and complementary state programs.
The Archdiocese of Washington’s Environmental Outreach Committee produced a calendar listing 40 carbon fasting actions everyone can consider as a part of Lenten preparations. Download the Carbon Fast Calendar for your parish, school, or individual use.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has developed an extensive environment webpage with many resources to help Catholics understand and act upon the Church’s ecological teachings. The resources include materials for action in the home, school, work, and parish.
Advocate
Visit Caritas’ Grow Climate Justice page and learn about the campaign to unite Catholics around the world to advocate for a just climate agreement.
Contact your senator to support Protect the Poor in Climate Legislation, which brings the particular issues of deforestation, drought, and changing weather patterns faced by the world’s poorest communities to the forefront of the climate debate.
Receive action alerts from the USCCB and lobby for climate change legislation.
Join www.350.org — an international movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis. The focus is on the number 350–as in parts per million — because it’s the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.
Young people can join local chapters of Powershift movement (an off-shoot of the Energy Action Coalition) to demand bold action on climate change and energy, including rebuilding the economy with green jobs, clean energy, and cutting carbon in line with what science demands.
