Green Team
The Green Team welcomes and invites all to join in living out the Laudato Si' Pledge, to become the catalyst that will foster ecological conversion for the parish. The Team meets regularly via Zoom to identify ways we can incorporate our call to hear the cry of the earth and of the poor into the liturgy, and in our work with the whole parish community. Our Laudato Si' Circle also offers opportunities to gather and share our journeys through readings and discussions.
As a Jesuit parish, our church is uniquely able to combine this ecological calling with Ignatian spirituality, which sees God's creation as an integral part of our ongoing conversion.
Season of Creation 2023
Weekly Newsletter
The Green Team has put together several pieces for this year's Season of Creation. Here, you will find their weekly newsletter sent out over the course of the month, and they've also collected the lay reflections delivered at our Masses the weekend of October 1.
What is Laudato Si'?
"Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home" is the second encyclical of Pope Francis.
In it, the pope critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming, and calls all people of the world to take “swift and unified global action.” The Laudato Si' movement has seven major components:
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Response to the Cry of the Earth
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Response to the Cry of the Poor
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Ecological Economics
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Adoption of Simple Lifestyles
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Ecological Education
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Ecological Spirituality
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Community Engagement & Participatory Action
Developing the Action Plan
After over a year’s work of discussions and reflections with parishioners and staff, the Green Team is pleased to announce that St. Ignatius Parish has in place a Laudato Si’ Action Plan. This document is a significant step on our journey to becoming a Laudato Si' parish. It will be posted with the Laudato Si' Action Platform team as a public sign to the world of our parish’s commitment.
While a significant accomplishment, it is only a plan. Now comes the harder part: putting the plan into action. The Green Team will continue to take the lead, with Fr. Jim's guidance. We seek to collaborate with commissions and parishioners.
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The plan above has something for everyone. Take some time to see what it has for you. Please participate as you are able in the work to implement the plan. This is a voluntary program.
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Below, you can see the steps we went through to develop our final version of the plan.
Our Goals
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Increase awareness of moral and faith issues related to environmental issues, as outlined in Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si'
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Provide information about, and foster activities that address, the negative effects of the climate crisis
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Encourage individuals and households to embrace sustainable living practices by highlighting practical steps
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Work toward healing environmental injustices that hurt poor and marginalized people the most, so that we can be a moral/spiritual voice on issues such as:
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alternative energy sources
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natural resource management
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renewable energy standards
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Accomplishments
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Organize parish gatherings to screen documentaries and showcase ecological issues & solutions
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Conduct four week reflection series with weekly virtual coffee meetings to discern one’s call to care for creation
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Organize small groups to study Laudato Si
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Engaged with EnerChange who provided a parish wide energy audit resulting in lighting upgrades which realized approximately $10,000/year electricity cost savings per the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) energy data analysis.
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Collaborate with organizations such as Catholic Climate Covenant and Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light (MNIPL) to leverage resources & reach out to the wider community.
Sign the Laudato Si' Pledge
