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Care for Creation
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In 2015, Pope Francis established the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Roman Catholic Church and, in 2019, joined Christians from around the world in the international celebration of the Season of Creation.
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Season of Creation: Sept. 1 - Oct. 4A time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together
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This year's theme, Living Water, is drawn from Ezekiel 47: 1- 12, which portrays God’s life-giving water flowing from the temple of God. The river grows deeper and deeper, restoring barren land, reviving waters, and sustaining flourishing ecosystems. The vision invites human responsibility: recognizing ecological damage and embracing interconnectedness. We are called to immerse ourselves in the water, actively safeguarding and working for the renewal of creation so that environmental healing and human well-being may flourish together.
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Calendar
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Saturday, October 3, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
A morning gathering celebrating the Season of Creation | Lay faithful are invited to celebrate and enjoy a morning with fellowship, talks from local environmental organizations, and a Mass.Read More
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Photo ContestDo you want to share a moment that you experienced in nature? Join our Season of Creation Photo Contest and show us the beauty of God's creation. Submit your photo here or click the image below.
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About the Season of Creation
The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. The World Council of Churches was instrumental in making the special time a season, extending the celebration from 1 September until 4 October.
Following the leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I and the WCC, Christians worldwide have embraced the season as part of their annual calendar. Pope Francis established the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Roman Catholic Church in 2015 and, in 2019, started celebrating the Season of Creation as well.
The season starts September 1, the Day of Prayer for Creation, and ends October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
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Resources
- Season of Creation General Resources (Season of Creation)
- SOC Celebration Guide (Season of Creation)
- SOC Prayer Card (Season of Creation)
- LSM Prayer Book (Laudato Si Movement)
- Holy Hour for the Care of Creation (Season of Creation)
- Recommended readings and prayers for Liturgy on the Care of Creation (USCCB)
- Resources on how to celebrate a 'Mass for Creation' (Catholic Climate Covenant)
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Year of Saint Franciscelebrating the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi
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St. Francis of Assisi is being commemorated in "A Year of Saint Francis," celebrating the 800th anniversary of his death and transitus into heaven. Pope Leo XIV has granted a plenary indulgence from Jan. 10, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027, and Bishop Garcia has designated three pilgrimage sites (listed below) for diocesan faithful "to step away from the noise of the world and enter a deeper encounter with our Lord and Savior."
Pilgrimage Sites:- St. Francis of Assisi, Franklin
- St. Francis on the Brazos, Waco
- Cristo Rey, Austin
Learn more at the diocesan Year of Saint Francis webpage: austindiocese.org/year-of-saint-francis.
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More about Creation Care
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Parish Ministry Materials
Parishes are invited to form integral Creation Care Ministries or also referred as "Creation Care Teams" that reflect the teachings of Laudato Si’. This path integrates members of the parish to efficiently collaborate on developing Laudato Si’ initiatives, education, prayer, liturgy, and transformative actions to respond to the inseparable Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor.
Education
Prayer and Liturgy- Holy Hour for the Care of Creation
- Recommended readings and prayers for Liturgy on the Care of Creation
- Resources on how to celebrate a 'Mass for Creation'
Transformative ActionAdditional Resources to Learn More About Catholic Social Teaching on the Environment:
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“Environmental justice – implicitly proclaimed by the prophets – can no longer be regarded as an abstract concept or a distant goal. It is an urgent need that involves much more than simply protecting the environment. For it is a matter of justice – social, economic and human. For believers it is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed."
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV
Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2025
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Contact Us
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yamilet-munozaustindiocese.orgAssociate Director of Social Justice & Multicultural Engagement
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