On Sunday 1st October 2023, the Archdiocese of Liverpool launched Care for Creation: Commitments, Actions and Participation. This is our response to Laudato Si’, and the heartfelt plea from Pope Francis, “Listen to the Cry of the Earth, the Cry of the Poor.” Care for Creation captures our commitment to building a sustainable future that brings us closer to creating God’s heavenly kingdom on earth.
“Our vocation as stewards of God’s world is the original vocation and has been with us since the point of our creation where we were made in His image and likeness. In this image and likeness, God invites us to be like him in caring,creating, nurturing, and ordering our world.”
Archbishop Malcolm McMahon
You can watch the Archbishop explain the launch of Care for Creation, as he reads his pastoral letter in this short film.
Parishioners and priests have been caring for creation for many years, but most recently in 2019, the archdiocese captured this in its environmental policy. In 2023, this policy was refreshed and has become the basis for an environmental strategy that is being developed. It also allowed the archdiocese to start a partnership with the Jesuit Fordham University to establish a Net Zero emissions target date.
The electricity for our buildings already comes from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, and we are concluding a carbon emissions review, that will identify ways we can become greener.
The archdiocese continues to take seriously how our money is invested, and in 2022 established a Responsible Investment Policy, and forums for all people to become engaged with this conversation.
In our schools, we will continue to deliver education and resources to seek behaviour change at an individual, school and parish level. Live Simply continues to thrive in schools.
We have also developed our own environmental training programme, which has created more than 40 care for creation leaders, working in 7 deaneries across the archdiocese.
But there is much more work to be done, and this will be set out in the forthcoming Environment and Sustainable Strategy.
Season of Creation 2024: What is going on across the archdiocese
Here are some examples of what is going on across the archdiocese.
St Oscar Romero Parish, Seaforth and Waterloo - Various events culminating in Service of Creation on 4 October.
St Gregory the Great, Chorley - Care for Creation workshop at Chorley Deanery Festival.
St Anne, Ormskirk and St Elizabeth, Scarisbrick -celebrating Creation Services.
St John, Wigan - Ecumenical Prayer Service for Care for Creation
If you are running an event, please contact Pablo Guidi
Would you like to find out more about our environmental work? Are you looking for tips or resources for your parish or school? Do you have your own success story you’d like to share? Get in touch by contacting the Catholic Social Action Coordinator.
