An event marking the 10th anniversary of the late Pope Francis’ encyclical on creation asked participants to make positive changes by thinking of themselves as a part of the environment.
The event celebrating “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” drew about 140 people to The Olmsted in St. Matthews. It was organized by the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Creation Care Team and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, Sisters of Loretto and Dominican Sisters of Peace.
Dan Misleh, founder and executive director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, served as the event speaker. He asked participants to say the first thing they thought of when they heard the word “environment.”
The responses included animals, trees, oceans and breathing.
He posed the question again, but replaced the word environment with poverty.
“Why do we not think of people when we say ‘environment?’ … If we don’t see ourselves as part of the environment, that’s a problem. We’re not the center but part of it.”
— Dan Misleh
Participants answered that they thought of people when they heard the word poverty.
“Why do we not think of people when we say ‘environment?’ ” Misleh asked. “If we don’t see ourselves as part of the environment, that’s a problem. We’re not the center but part of it.”
Misleh also shared some sobering information about the state of the environment. He said that climate change may be the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Tropical diseases are rising, food crops are diminishing and the world could lose half of all animal species by the end of this century, he said.
“We have to get busy,” he said. “We have about 10 years to cut greenhouse gases by 50 percent.”
Misleh said this isn’t good news, but for the gathering of Christians, he wanted to focus on “our spiritual disposition.”
“For us as Catholics, we have to have a new way of thinking of our place on the planet,” he said.
He called attention to the Gospel of John, in which the evangelist wrote that all things came to be through God.
“We say this every Sunday in the Creed,” he noted. “We have to start thinking we’re not apart from creation but a part of creation.”
With that in mind, he asked them to start thinking of ways to care for creation.
He asked the gathering to close their eyes and ask three questions: What brings you joy? What are you good at? What work needs to be done?
“I hope you think of that. We all have to do something,” he said.
Among Misleh’s listeners was Laura Zoeller, the consultant for adult faith formation and initiation for the archdiocese’s Office of Faith Formation.
Sharing her answers with the other participants, Zoeller said, “My grandchildren bring me joy. What I can do is share wisdom and knowledge with them. I encourage them to use reusable water containers and to focus on purchasing ‘needs’ and not ‘wants’ that will end up in the landfills.”
In an interview after the event, Zoeller added, “People think they need to do great things,” but small actions make a big difference.
During the event, several Catholic schools, religious congregations and other Catholic entities presented displays in the lobby of The Olmsted to demonstrate how they are already implementing the goals of Laudato Si’.
The gathering at The Olmsted was one of two events. The other took place June 18 at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Nazareth, Ky.
