Season of Creation Events Planned in Diocese of St. Augustine during September
Two special events are being held in early September in the Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, one in St. Augustine and the other in Gainesville. The events are sponsored by a grassroots group that has named themselves Green Catholics, and is led by Msg. Vincent Haut, a retired priest of the Diocese of St. Augustine. Two other priests, Father Guy Noonan and Father Edward Rooney, also retired, are part of the group, which was originally called the Green Priests, but expanded membership to include many non-clergy members, including myself. Both events are celebrating the Season of Creation, an interfaith season that begins on Sept. 1 and continues until Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.
The first Season of Creation event will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 1st, the World Day of Prayer for Creation from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the St. Joseph Neighborhood Center on Martin Luther King Avenue in St. Augustine. The second one, which is basically a repeat of the one in St. Augustine, will be held at Holy Faith Parish, 747 NW 43rd Street, Gainesville, from 9 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, Sept. 5. Both events will include an opening prayer service, a talk by Father Guy Noonan on Laudato Si’, the papal encyclical on Care for Our Common Home written by Pope Francis, guided discussions led by Msgr. Haut, and time for sharing and networking. Light refreshments and a door prize will be offered at both events. In order to facilitate planning and handouts, participants are asked to register by e-mailing greendosa.rsvp@gmail.com by August 28.
Within the Diocese of St. Augustine (to my knowledge) there are a couple of parishes, the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine and St. Paul’s in Jacksonville Beach, who have an organized Care for Creation ministry. Some Catholic schools in the diocese have either had or have now programs or classes that connect to the Care of God’s Creation. The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine have committed to the Laudato Si’ Action Plan of the Vatican back in 2021, and I serve as our Congregation’s Laudato Si’ Coordinator. These gatherings are an opportunity to come together and share our experiences and help one another to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor right here in Northeast Florida.
The goals of the Laudato Si’ Action Plan of the Vatican.
The Laudato Si’ Action Platform is a web-based seven-year Vatican initiative that guides the global Catholic Church toward total sustainability and integral ecology in response to Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical Laudato Si'. The action plan focuses on achieving seven core goals:
Response to the Cry of the Earth: Using clean renewable energy, reducing fossil fuels, and protecting biodiversity.
Response to the Cry of the Poor: Defending vulnerable groups like indigenous communities and the unborn.
Ecological Economics: Promoting sustainable production, ethical consumption, and fossil fuel divestment.
Adoption of Simple Lifestyles: Moderating resource use, avoiding single-use plastics, and reducing meat consumption.
Ecological Education: Re-designing educational curricula to build environmental awareness.
Ecological Spirituality: Growing a deeper connection with creation through reflection and prayer.
Community Involvement: Encouraging local action, advocacy, and grassroots participation.