Care of All Creation – Laudato Si’
In 2015, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ inspired and urged the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics and all people of good will to take urgent action against the injustice of the climate emergency and the ecological crisis, to protect the poor and future generations.
Becoming a Laudato Si' Congregation
The Laudato Si’ Action Platform was developed in response to Pope Francis’ call. This seven-year journey to global sustainability and spiritual conversion offers resources to help Catholic organizations all over the world across seven sectors - families/individuals, parishes and dioceses, educational institutions, healthcare institutions, organizations and groups, economic entities and religious orders - to generate plans to accomplish seven Laudato Si’ goals:
- Response to cry of the earth
- Response to cry of the poor
- Ecological economics
- Adoption of sustainable lifestyles
- Ecological education
- Ecological spirituality
- Community resilience and empowerment
Our Congregational Commitment
The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) has a long history of working for the care of creation and protecting the poor and marginalized. In May 2021, SSND made the following commitment to Laudato Si’:
The Triune God impels us into the heart of the world to be women of peace, hope, and love. As a Laudato Si’ congregation, we embark on a seven-year journey towards an integral ecology.
In fidelity to our charism and the mission to bring all to oneness, we commit to live more simply, responsibly, and sustainably and to educate, advocate and act in collaboration with others for the dignity of life and the care of all creation.
Called to live our mission prophetically, we School Sisters of Notre Dame live and minister with the conviction that the world can be changed through the transformation of persons.
Accepting the invitation to embark on this seven-year journey means that we have agreed to live in such a way that our lifestyles and our spirituality reduce and eliminate greenhouse gases, while promoting the health and sustainability of all of creation. We understand that our greatest contribution to address climate change is to educate, advocate, and act in ways that lead to personal conversion and social transformation.
We invite you on this journey with us.