Step Five - Start Planning Events
Here are some suggestions to help you get started with different types of events.
Sustainability
Research how to arrange an energy audit for the parish.
There may be easy things to fix and upgrade that will immediately save money from the parish’s operations budget. Contact the Diocesan Office of Planning, Construction and Facilities.
Assess recycling efforts, single-use products, and composting at your parish facility.
Work with staff and the building facilities manager to implement more sustainable practices. Look into washing dishes instead of using disposable products. Set up a dishwashing ministry with a list of willing dishwashers who would respond to a "call for dishwashers" for particular dates if they are available.
Develop environmental service hour projects for the youth of the parish.
Creative minds will come up with clever ideas that will work in your locale.
Use a carbon footprint calculator to see what factors affect your energy use in your household. There are many calculators online - we recommend this one from the EPA. Encourage parishioners to use the calculator.
Another resource to track is water. Here is a water calculator.
Investigate CCC’s Catholic Energies program.
“Catholic Energies provides experience, expertise, and financial resources at no cost to Catholic organizations that wish to embrace and install solar power and other energy efficiency equipment to help reduce costs, protect our Common Home, and future generations.” Catholic Energies Program We suggest you contact the Diocesan Office of Planning, Construction and Facilities for guidance and oversight before reaching out to Catholic Energies.
Education
Invite a speaker to present Catholic Social Teaching as it pertains to care for creation.
Open the event up to the parish, and include a signup sheet for parishioners to leave their names and email addresses indicating interest in your new ministry. Advertise well in advance, in addition to using personal outreach to parishioners. Look under the Resources Tab for speaker suggestions. In addition, feel free to invite a speaker from an already-existing parish Care for Creation Team, or someone from the Care for Creation Network of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Check to see if permission is needed from the parish or the Diocese for a speaker.
Find a topic or question that is interesting to you.
Research it and present your findings to your group. Some suggestions are native plants, natural burials, e-waste, renewable energy credits, environmental effect of cleaning products, and environmental impact of clothing industry. Are there any parishioners who have a specialty in an environmental field and would be willing to speak?
Include a few Laudato Si’ lessons in the faith formation curriculum.
Many resources are available online. Discuss this option with your Director of Religious Education. Offer to research programs. Many lessons are for purchase and are well worth it.
Spirituality
Include creation-themed petitions in the Prayer of the Faithful in your liturgies.
There are many resources for such petitions online. Here are some from Catholic Climate Covenant.
Plan nature walks, birding outings, and/or prayer services for special days.
See if there are parishioners who are willing to share their knowledge of birds or trees or plants and plan a walk to identify them.
Consider hosting an animal blessing on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi on or near October 4. Here is a sample format.
Pray the rosary
Here is a guided rosary with meditations that help us reflect on the importance of human dignity and the value of respecting creation.
Conduct a prayer service.
This prayer service is from Catholic Charities. It incorporates a psalm, scripture, intentions and time for reflection.
Advocacy
Read the document Advocacy 101.
This document, compiled by the St. John Neumann Care for Our Common Home Ministry, is a primer on how to advocate effectively.
Advocacy 101 or you can watch/share the concise 30 minute presentation here.