Laudato Si' and the U.S. Catholic Church

For the past few months, I have been working on a team of 30 young adults from across the United States who want to see a change in the Catholic Church revolving around Climate Change. This nationwide conference "Laudato Si' and the U.S. Catholic Church" hosted 2,600 participants from across the U.S. over July 13-15. I brought my studies of environmental and atmospheric science to help create curriculum young adults can use in their own parishes and schools. I was able to present during the youth and young adult breakout session about sustainability and simple living. Explaining content I learned this past semester at school ranging from greenhouse gases, the timeline of carbon emissions, and common misconceptions about climate change was a great experience to live out what I am so passionate about.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, who gave the opening keynote said it perfectly, the Church must move away from the idea that economic and material growth will allow for the growth of human development. People and life are the most important and should be held at the highest priority, above profits and consumerism. There is a long journey ahead of us, but the change begins with each one of us. "Sustained sacrifice," he said, is "the linchpin for building a public ethic of sacrifice in pursuit of a just and sustainable world."

Further, my team wore red or orange during our presentation to honor missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (red) and victims of the U.S. and Canadian indigenous residential school systems (orange). Both of these realities intertwine with climate change and environmental degradation. During our time together, we all saw firsthand how climate change is affecting each of our lives. This opportunity opened my eyes to many hard realities people are facing and only created a greater fire in my heart to care for creation.

I am blessed to have been featured in the Saint Louis Review about my assistance in the Youth and Young Adult track of the conference: check it out!

https://www.archstl.org/catholic-values-guide-mizzou-student-on-environment-6641

For more information:

Check out this article in the National Catholic Reporter about the conference:

https://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/conference-primes-us-church-bolder-responses-laudato-si-climate-change

Check out Creighton's website to learn more about the conference:

https://www.creighton.edu/catholicclimate/workinggroups/