Care for Creation – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Interested in participating to change our world for the better? Join us!

Help us bring to our Collaborative the messages from the Pope’s encyclical and give practical suggestions for how to implement his ideas at home.

We typically meet on the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm on Zoom and all are welcome! Upcoming schedule for 2026:

January 7, February 4, March 4, April 1, May 6, June 3 (Please contact Rita Vatcher for the Zoom link.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Barbara Pyles, Jane Materazzo, or Deacon Rick Vatcher

Let’s Turn Hope Into Action

“God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters – what will be our answer? We inhabit the same planet, and we must care for it together… there is no room for indifference or resignation. ”
-Pope Leo XIV

Care for Creation Theology, Simply Put

Laudato Si’ calls us to see that care for creation is about far more than protecting just the environment—it is about how we live as human beings before God and with one another — it is about the way we choose to live and love. Pope Francis reminds us that the earth is not an object to be used, but a gift entrusted to our care, and that the way we treat creation mirrors the way we treat people. When the natural world is exploited, the poor and vulnerable are always the first to suffer.

At the heart of the encyclical is the vision of integral ecology, the conviction that everything is connected: our economic choices, our social structures, our moral values, and our spiritual lives. Environmental degradation cannot be separated from injustice, poverty, or the breakdown of community and family life. For Pope Francis, care for creation flows directly from respect for human dignity at every stage of life.

Laudato Si’ therefore invites an ecological conversion—a change of heart (not just habits) that leads to simpler living, deeper gratitude, and renewed solidarity. It is a call to heal broken relationships: with God, with one another, with the poor, with future generations, and with the earth itself. In this way, Laudato Si’ is not merely an environmental appeal, but a profound Gospel summons to live more faithfully, responsibly, and lovingly in our common home and with each other.

-Deacon Rick Vatcher

Latest News and Updates

Start the New Year With a Gift to Creation!

Our homes were graced with beautiful Christmas trees this season. We invite you to show your gratitude and “pay it forward” by planting a tree (or 2 or 3) to start the new year. Many organizations, including the Arbor Day Foundation, One Tree Planted, the USDA Forest Service Plant-a-Tree Program, the National Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy make it easy to plant trees from the comfort of your home. Better yet, plant one in your yard or at the home of a loved one! It’s a gift that keeps on giving for a lifetime! ...

January 8, 2026 / Adult Faith Enrichment, Laudato Si'

Advent Resources from Catholic Climate Covenant!

Creation Awaits with Eager Expectation - A Daily Advent Journey of Prayer and Reflection, Catholic Climate Covenant This collection features 26 daily prayers and reflections inspired by Romans 8:19—“For creation awaits with eager expectation for the revelation of the children of God.” Written by a beautifully diverse group of U.S. Catholics, these short prayers and reflections will accompany you throughout the Advent season. Register here ...

November 21, 2025 / Adult Faith Enrichment, Christmas and Advent, Laudato Si'

November 18: Raising Hope for Climate Justice: A Message from Pope Leo

Tuesday, November 18th at 7:00pm Powers Hall, Lower Level St. John the Evangelist Church Join the SJSP Care for Creation Committee for a Zoom webinar with Fran Ludwig, co-chair of Boston Catholic Climate Movement and delegate to the recent Raising Hope for Climate Justice conference in Rome. Hear about Pope Leo's challenge to us to protect our common home and all who inhabit it -- particularly the poor and vulnerable who are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation. Munchies will be served! Can't attend in person? Click here to register for the webinar ...

November 12, 2025 / Adult Faith Enrichment, Laudato Si'

“Blessing of the Animals” – This Sunday, October 5 at 3pm at St. Paul Church

All are invited to bring their pets to our outdoor "Blessing of the Animals" on Sunday, October 5 at 3pm at St. Paul with Deacon Rick. Sponsored by the SJSP Care for Creation Team in celebration of the Feast of St. Francis and the Season of Creation. For their safety, all animals should eb leashed or in a carrier. ...

September 28, 2025 / Adult Faith Enrichment, Laudato Si'

Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined
to everything that is.

God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good, advance the weak,
and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.

-Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ 2015