Celebrate Earth Day the Catholic way
Climate changing, finite resources dwindling, oil wars beginning: As Earth Day approaches, our home planet remains a ball of confusion. What are we to do? Here are some ideas and resources to help you sort it all out—and recycle it!
Some bright ideas for Earth Day
Resources for celebrating Mother Earth
The Canticle of the Sun
In honor of Earth Day, let’s hear from one of the great saints of our church about the wonders of creation. Be sure to share this prayer with your children.
41 bright ideas for going green
Take your pick and be inspired by the Bible, prayer, politics, your parish, or your family:
Change the climate in Washington
Through politics, Catholics can change the way we treat the Earth.
Does the earth have a prayer?
Love of creation has deep roots in our Catholic spiritual traditions.
Waste not, want not
Earth-friendly living starts at home.
The Bible tells me so
The Good Book is full of passages to inspire environmental action.
Green isn’t just for Ordinary Time
Parishes are investing in eco-friendly techniques to save money and the earth. (And for more on parishes going green, see Our Lady of Waste Management and Why should parishes go green?
INTERVIEWS:
Religious by Nature
Keith Warner, O.F.M. recycles some ancient traditions from his spiritual father Francis for modern use to convince Catholics to protect the environment.
The sky is falling. No, really
Even if Kristin Shrader-Frechette's mother hadn't died of an environmentally-induced cancer at the age of 43, leaving seven children motherless in Kentucky, chances are the Notre Dame professor would still have grown up to be a dynamo researcher and scholar working for environmental justice.
WEB ONLY: “5 questions with Kristin Shrader-Frechette”
All creatures great and small
Let's quit giving ourselves permission to wreak havoc on God's good earth, says Anne Clifford, C.S.J. We're not the only ones in whom God delights.
WEB ONLY: “5 questions with Anne Clifford”
READ MORE:
Learn more about environmental concerns, such as oil use, parks in poor neighborhoods, and sustainable farming, by reading articles in our Environment listing.
DISCUSS:
What does your faith tell you about the Earth? How do you celebrate God's creation on Earth Day? Tell us in the comments below.
Comments (3)
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Earth day is anti-Catholic
By Anonymous (not verified) on Friday, April 22, 2011In Genesis we are told that man was given dominion over the earth.
Earth Day promotes the idea that man and earth are somehow equals. In fact the tree huggers imbue nature with a "spirit".
Certainly we are not to abuse God's gift of the environment to us. Having dominion does not legitimize such. However, by giving lip-service to Earth Day is to legitimize those who believe man and earth are materially equal and to deny the uniqueness of the human soul.
We should not encourage heresy...no matter how politically correct.
Earth Day
By Anonymous (not verified) on Wednesday, April 13, 2011Earth day is part of the bigger global warming or global changing group, who espouse saving our planet. How do they plan on doing this? By having less people on the planet, so they push abortion, and contraception. You can read this on any of the global warming crowds websites.
That is 100% against Catholic teaching. So, why celebrate this bogus day? I will stick to the Mass and Sacraments.
plant a tree
By Church Construction (not verified) on Wednesday, March 16, 2011Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970. Earth Day is celebrated in spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Many communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.
I will plant a tree in the neighborhood garden, located in my mind. Other than that I'm not doing anything.