Resources and Events

Resources

FSPA integral ecology director Beth Piggush spoke about the FSPA Laudato Si' commitment, how ongoing efforts fit under the seven goals and how FSPA will develop future programs and projects to increase our action in the latest Lunch & Learn: "Laudato Si' Action Platform news and the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration's journey ahead."

Barbara Fraser, editor for EarthBeat, presented "What Catholics should know about the COP26 U.N. climate conference," in which she helped us explore some of the key issues that Catholic activists will be tracking in Glasgow, especially those related to climate justice, and consider the possible impacts of Pope Francis' planned trip to the leaders' summit at the beginning of the conference.

In "The Gem City Story: The Importance of Land Ownership and Food Access for Black Communities," Dr. Amaha Sellassie, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of Center for Applied Social Issues at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio explored opportunities for community involvement and participatory action to care for creation at the local, regional and national levels.

Karl Green, professor with the UW-Madison Division of Extension of Community Resource Institute, helped us explore many of La Crosse County’s water resources, their uniqueness and vulnerabilities and actions local residents can take to improve water quality in the Driftless Area. Watch FSPA's Eco in Action Lunch & Learn session "Water Resources in the Driftless Area" below and access Karl's presentation resources here.

In "Environmental Justice: Nursing for Planetary Health" Jessica LeClair, clinical instructor at UW-Madison School of Nursing, spoke to "characterizing the linkages between human-caused disruptions of earth's natural systems and the resulting impacts on public health" and how we can answer this call to the cry of the earth, cry of the poor.

Watch "Eco Advocacy 101: Faith Groups in Action," FSPA's Eco in Action Lunch & Learn session presented by Toni Langowski on June 8, 2021. Toni shares how "ecospirituality, your role in environmental advocacy and environmental policy" and everything in between "affects the world that we live in today."

Explore "The Glory of Birds," the fifth offering of FSPA's Eco in Action Lunch & Learn series that was offered on May 11. Presenters Therese Cummiskey and Diane Porter of Jefferson County, Iowa, give us a bird's-eye view of the amazing beauty and diversity of birds — God's great creations — including some of the birds that we can enjoy right outside our windows.

FSPA Ecospirituality Project Outreach Coordinator Karen Stoltz got us ready to get into the garden on April 13 with "Gardening 101: What's sprouting in Jacoba's Greenhouse? Get Started at Home," the fourth offering in the Eco in Action Lunch & Learn session. In this video, Karen introduces us to the basics of starting a garden indoors: seed selection, potting soils and site selection. In addition, Karen also shares what she is growing at the FSPA garden this season and what has already started to pop up inside Jacoba’s Greenhouse.

Watch "Ecology of Creativity and Community for the Backyard and the Future of the Planet," FSPA's Eco in Action Lunch & Learn session presented by Jack Phillips on March 9. Jack calls us to "focus on the bit of earth that's under our care," and asks us to discern if "we are acting in a way that's nurturing the planet, or are we hastening the destruction of the planet."

Experience "Resilient Farming Systems in the Face of Climate Change," the second session in FSPA's Lunch & Learn series, presented by Ron Rosmann on Feb. 9. Ron owns and operates Rosmann Family Farms with his family in Harlan, Iowa, and is a founding board member of the grassroots organization Practical Farmers of Iowa. He spoke about how climate change impacts agriculture and his approach to that challenge, spirituality and religion in farming and the big agricultural picture: what we eat, where we buy our food and what the future holds.

Sister Lucy Slinger presented "Life Lessons for Our Future From COVID-19" during the first Ecospirituality in Action Lunch & Learn session. In her presentation, Sister Lucy offered “Pandemic Key Gifts of Influence” that include “successful responses to this pandemic” as invitations “to know how to address the ongoing ‘silent’ pandemic of environmental degradation that is equally if not more of a threat to a future for humanity.”

Laudato Si' 5th Anniversary Prayer Service

FSPA, affiliates and partners in mission created an interactive prayer service video to honor the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis' Laudato Si'. Pray, sing, reflect and learn with us — anytime, anywhere.

The Faith for Earth Initiative is designed to foster global connections through the mission of the United Nations Environment Program, missioned to "encourage, empower and engage with faith-based organizations as partners, at all levels, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfilling the 2030 Agenda."

Global Catholic Climate Movement Webinar

GCCM's Laudato Si' Week webinar "Deepening Our Communion With Creation" is a presentation featuring keynote speaker Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-founder and co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University. Connecting ecospirituality, the cosmos, science and the call to action within faith communities, Dr. Tucker invites us to "start a journey of transformation, connecting the heart of our faith with the heart of our common home." Click here to experience the the webinar on YouTube (beginning at the 15 minute, 23 second mark).

Care for Creation

Vatican: Amazon Synod document
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-02/final-document-synod-amazon.html

Exhortation by Pope Francis following the Amazon Synod: Beloved Amazon
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-02/querida-amazonia-synthesis-pope-francis-exhortation-amazon.html

UISG: Sowing Hope for the Planet campaign (FSPA is a member)
https://www.sowinghopefortheplanet.org/

United Nations: Sustainable Development Goals
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

Global Catholic Climate Covenant
https://catholicclimatemovement.global/

USCCB
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/care-for-creation.cfm

Catholic Climate Covenant
https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/

Creation Care Teams: Catholic Climate Covenant
https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/program/creation-care-teams

Catholic Charities of the Twin Cities
https://www.cctwincities.org/education-advocacy/catholic-social-teaching/notable-quotations/care-of-creation/
This page ties together the writings from the Catholic Church to Cry of the Earth and Cry of the Poor.

Creation Justice Ministries (Faith Based)
http://www.creationjustice.org/

Sisters of Earth
https://sistersofearth.net/

Earth Charter
https://earthcharter.org/

Climate Action

LCWR: Climate Change resolutions and resources
https://lcwr.org/social-justice/climate-changeenvironment

EarthBeat
https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat

United Nations
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
https://www.ipcc.ch/

Catholic Relief Services: Climate Change
https://www.crs.org/climate-change

Laudato Si' Generation: intergenerational activist group helping to organize climate action day
https://laudatosigeneration.org/

Interfaith Power and Light
https://www.interfaithpowerandlight.org/

Citizens Climate Lobby
https://citizensclimatelobby.org/

Climate Reality Project
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/
Beth Piggush, Integral Ecology Director participated in the Climate Reality Leadership Training in July 2019.