Mass for the Care of Creation
Wednesday, April 22, 12:00 pm
Church
Please join us on Earth Day in celebrating a new Mass added to the Roman Missal in July 2025 that stems directly from Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical. Emphasizing creation as a reflection of God’s glory, the Care of Creation Mass expresses the Catholic teaching on ecological responsibility, stewardship, and humanity’s connection to creation through prayer. Saint Jude will be the first parish in the Archdiocese to celebrate this Mass, and Monsignor Joe Corbett will celebrate.
Did you know that “Care for God’s Creation” is one of the seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching? In 2015 Pope Francis wrote his “Laudato Si’” letter to everyone in the world, asking us to make major improvements in how we care for God’s People and Planet. And in 2023, he wrote another letter urgently calling for us to build sustainable practices into our daily lives. Saint Jude is one of 40 parishes and schools across the Archdiocese that are actively answering his call.
If you believe that you and our parish can do a better job at taking care of God’s People and Planet, please join our ministry!
We have begun with an initial focus on conserving energy, conserving water, and minimizing waste while building the ministry and engaging the parish community. We are one of forty parishes and schools in the Archdiocese that comprise the Atlanta Laudato Si Initiative. To grow the impact of this effort, we seek members who share a passion for caring for God’s planet and people.
Examples of our Activities
- Create greater awareness of best practices for conserving energy, water, and waste
- Promote existing Parish sustainability initiatives and support new ones
- Advise on ways to reduce waste at parish events and support parish recycling initiatives
- Connect parishioners with community events and volunteer opportunities
Recent Wins
Our Parish has already made progress in conserving energy and minimizing waste. For example, to conserve energy (and save money), the parish has converted to LED lighting and is installing WiFi thermostats in the Ministry Building. Additionally, the parish has taken initial steps to recycle more of what is used at parish events and in the parish offices, initiating a partnership with Conex to enable recycling of paper, plastics (1-7), and aluminum. Watch for more recent wins!
To learn more or to join the team, please contact our Creation Care Team co-leaders, Brian Savoie and Beth Paschetto.