General

Summary of Activities of the U.S. Church in Response to Laudato Si’

Topic
Office/Committee
Year Published
  • 2025
Language
  • English

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Summary of Activities of the U.S. Church in Response to Laudato Si’

Background:

In the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis observed that “the ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion…living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (no. 217). 

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the encyclical, we celebrate the diverse ways that U.S. Catholics have responded to the encyclical focused on the interrelated social and environmental challenges of our time. 

We also celebrate the pontificate of Pope Francis and the many ways he walked in solidarity with the poor, the excluded, and all God’s creation. As Pope Leo XIV said in recognition of this anniversary, “Pope Francis’ encyclical calls us to renew the dialogue on how we are building our planet’s future, as we unite in the pursuit of sustainable and integral development, taking care to protect the common home entrusted to us by God.”

In 2020, we published a report documenting activities undertaken by the USCCB and other national Catholic organizations over the first five years after Laudato Si’. As a way to mark the tenth anniversary, this updated and expanded summary chronicles a decade of activities. To jump to a specific organization’s achievements, click on the organization’s name below.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Catholic Climate Covenant
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Charities
Catholic Health Association
Saint Vincent DePaul
Catholic Rural Life

I. Activities Undertaken by the USCCB

At the USCCB, environmental policy initiatives are undertaken by the Environmental Justice Program, the Office of International Justice and Peace, and the Office of Domestic Justice, Peace and Human Development (formerly the Office of Domestic Social Development) within the Secretariat of Justice and Peace.

1. Advocacy and Policy

In the days leading up to Laudato Si’s release, the USCCB held multiple briefings for Congress and political leaders. The Conference communicated with all U.S. bishops in preparation for Laudato Si’ to offer preaching and teaching resources and hosted a pre-release scholars’ conference on ecology and the expected themes of the encyclical at the University of St. Thomas from June 3-5, 2015. A plenary presentation on Laudato Si’ was held during the Bishops June General Assembly in 2015.

Upon the document's release, two press conferences were held with bishops at the National Press Club. Staff provided four briefings with Congress and the White House, the first three of these taking place within 24 hours of the encyclical’s release. With the support of the Conference, over 110 statements on the encyclical were issued by U.S. bishops across the country. Multiple educational and theological conferences on Laudato Si’ were held in partnership with other Catholic organizations and many continue that work to this day. Educational resources such as discussion guides, video series, and homily helps were successfully distributed nationally. The full body of bishops adopted an explicit strategic priority for the planning period of 2017-2020: “Teach and advocate about integral ecology, emphasizing environmental degradation and its impact on the lives of the most vulnerable.” The USCCB continues its outreach and meetings with key congressional offices to share Pope Francis’ encyclical message and the bishops’ policy priorities.

Since the encyclical’s promulgation, the USCCB has delivered several letters, statements, and testimonies in public hearings bringing attention to integral ecological challenges such as climate change, environmental health, and international development projects that threaten vulnerable populations, the poor, and life-sustaining ecosystems.  Numerous in-person meetings have been coordinated and attended by USCCB staff and member bishops with federal and state legislators and political representatives to promote integral ecology. The resources referenced can be found on the USCCB Environmental Justice Program website: https://www.usccb.org/environment

Below are all letters and statements addressed to the U.S Congress and Administrations since the encyclical’s publication which articulate USCCB positions on the environment. All can also be accessed on the USCCB Environmental Justice webpage.1

2. National Programs

Preaching and Teaching Program - In 2016 the USCCB and the Catholic Climate Covenant launched the “Laudato Si’ in the Parish” program, which provides homiletic training, substantive information on care for creation, and resources for clergy. The program reached over 300 priests and deacons in 6 dioceses. 

Laudato Si’ Advocates Program – Following a 2019 pilot program, the USCCB, in collaboration with and supported by the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and the Mary J. Donnelly Foundation, launched the “Laudato Si’ Advocates” program on September 1, 2020, the World Day of Prayer for Creation. The program encourages, equips, and educates young people across the country to advocate for policies that promote integral ecology. 

3. Coalitions and Convenings

The USCCB works alongside Catholic, interfaith, and secular organizations to advance international and domestic environmental policies on climate change, extractive industries accountability, and biodiversity protection. The USCCB also convenes Catholic leaders on environmental concerns. Some examples include a secular coalition that builds support for an illegal tropical deforestation-free commodities supply chain, collaboration with interfaith and Catholic partners to pass environmental provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, and participation in Jubilee USA to break the shackles of debt and unlock climate finance for low-and middle-income countries around the world.  

The USCCB convened partners such as faith groups, CCHD partners, and federal government agencies to discuss environmental justice, including climate change at a December 2016 gathering hosted by USCCB. 

The USCCB helped found and continues to collaborate with the Catholic Climate Covenant to mobilize the faithful to act on climate change and care for creation, reduce their carbon footprint, and to become resilient to climate change. 

4. Support for the Synod on the Amazon

Several USCCB offices supported the important work of the Synod on the Amazon. Upon the release of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia, the Office of Education and Outreach, in collaboration with the Environmental Justice Program, produced a Querida Amazonia study guide. USCCB staff have actively collaborated with Red Eclesial Pan Amazonica (REPAM) in recent years and participated in a conference convened at Georgetown University in preparation for the Synod entitled: “INTEGRAL ECOLOGY: A Synodal Response from the Amazon Region and Other Biomes / Essential Territories for the Care of Our Common Home”.

5. Educational efforts to implement Laudato Si' in the U.S.

  • Laudato Si’ Week Email Campaign 10th Anniversary: U.S. Catholics signed up to received daily emails with the opportunity to learn and pray on the day’s theme. The series can be found here. This built on a similar nine-day campaign for the 5th anniversary. Emails included daily reflections with opportunities to pray, learn, act and care for God’s creation.
  • Laudato Si’ 10th Anniversary Letter to Young People in English and Spanish from Domestic Justice and Human Development Committee Chairman, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, and International Justice and Peace Committee Chairman, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, to young people.
  • A Spanish version of the USCCB’s Environment page and Care for Creation page on Catholic Social Teaching assists Hispanic/Latino Catholics in formation and action to care for creation.
  • English language Care for Creation page on Catholic Social Teaching.
  • In 2025, a new webpage featured examples of activities to implement Laudato Si’ that are already happening in dioceses around the country.
  • At the November 2024 National Plenary Assembly, the bishops held table discussions to generate ideas that the USCCB and dioceses could do to commemorate the 10th anniversary.
  • Laudato Si’ Fifth Anniversary Postcard was created and is available in a variety of formats.
  • Laudato Si’: Caring for Our Common Home Discussion Guide was created in order to help Catholics study, reflect and act. This was updated and re-issued for the 5th anniversary.
  • Laudato Si’: Caring for Our Common Home Bulletin Insert was created to help individuals and families respond. This was updated and re-issued for the 5th anniversary. New materials created for 10th anniversary.
  • Promoted the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.
  • Developed the prayer card, “Help Me to Listen to the Voice of Creation” inspired by the joint statement of Archbishop Coakley and Bishop Malloy for the 2022 World Day of Prayer for Creation
  • Our Common Home and the Transforming Power of the Eucharist Bulletin Insert developed in 2025.
  • Care for Creation presentations in the Catholic Social Teaching Certificate Programs in English and Spanish
  • Prayer to Care for Our Common Home, based on Laudato Si’, was created.
  • Querida Amazonia study guide highlighted interconnections with Laudato Si’.
  • A video and discussion guide on Care for Our Common Home were produced as part of a Catholic Social Teaching 101 series.
  • In 2020, to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the USCCB hosted two bishop roundtables on the encyclical. The dialogues were conducted separately in English and Spanish and sought to relate integral ecology to the life of the Church and apply the message of Laudato Si’ to different aspects of daily life.
  • The English language roundtable took place virtually on May 20th, 2020, during Laudato Si’ Week and featured Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Bishop Robert W. McElroy, and Bishop Robert E. Barron. The USCCB conducted a  second virtual roundtable in Spanish on June 18th, 2020, featuring Bishop Oscar Cantú, Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Bishop Jorge Rodriguez and Bishop Joseph J. Tyson. in Spanish on June 18th, 2020, featuring Bishop Oscar Cantú, Bishop Daniel E. Flores, Bishop Jorge Rodriguez and Bishop Joseph J. Tyson.
  • Resource for Liturgy and Preaching on Caring for God’s Creation  were created for use in parishes and liturgical settings. Drop by Drop and Green Street Park, two children’s story books on caring for God’s creation, were created.
  • Staff from multiple departments of USCCB participated in the planning and implementation of “Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church” conference at Creighton University in June 2019. Future convenings of a similar nature are being planned, with the next convening planned for 2021.
  • Several action alerts engaged USCCB networks in advocating with elected officials on issues related to care for creation—including the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Paris Climate Agreement, energy efficiency, climate resilience, environmental justice, clean energy, and a national carbon standard. A social media campaign, including a series of compelling memes, was created to share the message of Laudato Si’. An intensive social media campaign was implemented during Laudato Si’ Week to celebrate the 5th anniversary.

6. Reflections on Laudato Si' and Care for Our Common Home

Over the past ten years, USCCB has chronicled stories of how Catholics are taking action to protect the environment and stand with communities burdened by pollution- especially in low-income urban and rural communities, communities of color and Native American communities. Recent stories can be found on the CCHD site, Poverty USA, including the following: 

7. Laudato Si’ and Care for Creation Content at the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (CSMG)

The CSMG conference has advocacy asks, workshops, and speakers that speak to integral ecology, including over the past 10 years with in-person and virtual conferences. Some keynotes, sample workshop titles, and Pope Francis’ 2025 message to participants are below. 

CSMG 2025:

CSMG 2023: 

  • “Exploring Connections: Climate Change, Food Insecurity and Conflict”
  • “Making Earth Whole Through Young Adult Engagement”
  • “Promoting the Common Good trough Programs that Address the Right to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene”
  • <<Abordando la seguridad alimentaria frente a la crisis climática>> 

CSMG 2022: 

  • “At the Intersections of Climate Change: Voices of Young Adults”
  • <<De la mentalidad del Papa Francisco a la política y acción climática>>

CSMG 2021: 

  • “Advancing Laudato Si’: Collaborative Efforts for Action and Accompaniment”
  • “Advancing Laudato Si’: Collaborative Efforts for Action and Accompaniment
  • “Caring for Creation and Community”
  • “Climate Justice and Policing” 

CSMG 2020:

  • “Laudato Si' at 5: Where we've been and where we're going”
  • “Climate Change and Indigenous Populations and Laudato Si’”

CSMG 2019:

  • “God’s People: Practical Strategies to Implement Laudato Sí’”
  • “Climate and Just Energy Transition” 

CSMG 2018:  

  • Indigenous Dialogue from Two Continents: Hopes, Dreams and Actions”
  • “Solidarity in Our Common Home” – plenary presentation with Red Ecclesial PanAmazónica (REPAM)
  • “Solidarity in Our Common Home and REPAM”
  • “Finding the Common Good in a Throw-Away Culture”
  • “Weaving a Green Thread into the Fabric of Catholic Life: Implementing the Common Home Project”
  • “Called to the Global Common Good: Community Strategies to Promote Global Solidarity”
  • “Common Ground on Climate Policy: How Congress is Answering the Call to Dialogue in Laudato Si’”
  • “Nuclear Threats to the Common Good: Disarmament, North Korea and Iran

CSMG 2016 

  • “The Global Suffering of Women as an Ethical Imperative for the Church” – keynote
  • “The Church Responding to Disasters in Our Common Home”
  • “Laudato Si’ in Action”
  • “Immigration: Root Causes and Welcome in our Common Home”
  • “Climate Change: Protecting our Common Home”

8. Environmental Justice through CCHD funded groups

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), as the domestic anti-poverty program of the USCCB, funds a wide range of organizations around the country with the goal of empowering low-income communities to overcome the cycle of poverty. In the United States and throughout the world, poverty is often deeply intertwined with and worsened by environmental problems such as air or water pollution and lack of access to healthy food. Many organizations funded by CCHD employ a variety of strategies to tackle many dimensions of the complex social and environmental crisis facing our world.

CCHD has invested more than $6.6 million in 80 organizations led by low-income people who are working to address environmental issues in local communities across 28 states and 42 dioceses. These efforts have intensified since the publication of Laudato Si’, where Pope Francis praises local groups that enrich society through promoting the common good and defending the environment in natural and urban landscapes (no. 232). CCHD responds to Pope Francis’ invitation to create a sustainable, integral ecology by empowering grassroots organizations to address issues that include addressing air and water pollution, mitigating the effects of extractive industries, promoting sustainable agriculture and green jobs, ensuring access to healthy foods and supporting community development projects. In 2019-2020 alone, CCHD invested $1.02 million in local organizations who care for our common home. Many of these efforts are related to protecting the health of communities. Below are some recent examples of CCHD funded groups that promote environmental stewardship:

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) is an environmental health and justice organization supporting communities by utilizing grassroots action to keep neighborhoods free from industrial pollution. They collaborate with communities adjacent to petrochemical plants in Louisiana, working to create an informed, healthy society that holds the petrochemical industry and government accountable for the true costs of pollution. LABB uses a range of community organizing, legal, and public health strategies to protect some of the most vulnerable populations in Louisiana.

Illinois People’s Action (IPA) is a statewide, faith-based community organization that empowers families and their congregations to collectively address justice and poverty issues in their communities. Recent campaigns include ensuring safe drinking water by preventing fracking in central Illinois and supporting the growth of renewable energy projects in low-income neighborhoods, thereby creating jobs and promoting care for creation.

The New Mexico Acequia Association (NMAA) works to protect water rights for all people, increase access to healthy food, and preserve cultural heritage. Throughout rural New Mexico there are hundreds of irrigated canals, or acequias, that have supplied water to families for centuries. The NMAA works to ensure the fair and just governance of these acequias by educating, organizing, and empowering citizens to defend this essential resource shared by all. The NMAA also trains the next generation of farmers and ranchers to help preserve traditions of sustainable agriculture in New Mexico.

The Idaho Organization of Resource Councils (IORC) works to empower the people of Idaho to improve economic well-being of local communities and sustain an ecologically responsible way of life. IORC supports two local chapters that lead a range of campaigns focused on human and environmental health, which include promoting local food systems, protecting water quality and
ecosystem health, increasing renewable energy sources, and advocating against irresponsible oil and gas development projects.

SOCM (Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment) is a member-run organization that encourages civic involvement and collective action toward social, economic, and environmental justice for the people of Tennessee. For over 40 years, SOCM has led campaigns that have halted proposed toxic waste incinerators, mountaintop removal coal mining operations, and other developments that would adversely impact the health and well-being of communities through pollution. In every aspect of its work, SOCM works to protect the land and defend the dignity of all Tennesseans

The North Bay Organizing Project (NBOP) consists of 22 member institutions that work for social, economic, racial and environmental justice in north San Francisco Bay communities. NBOP trains leaders, creates leadership opportunities, engages people in democracy and works to change the structures that perpetuate poverty. Currently, one of NBOP’s major projects entails responding to recent wildfires in the region that have devastated many households. NBOP’s members are working to address the resulting housing crisis by seeking rent control and engaging in other efforts to support low-income and undocumented immigrants affected by this natural disaster.

People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH Buffalo) is a membership-based community organization in Buffalo, New York, striving to mobilize citizens to create neighborhoods with quality, affordable housing and increased employment opportunities. One of PUSH Buffalo’s major initiatives is PUSH Green, which helps stimulate energy efficiency and solar energy projects for residents and businesses. Through this work, PUSH Buffalo advances community improvements that are economically viable and environmentally beneficial, and, above all, promote the comfort and well-being of local people affecting members, including labor rights, access to healthy food, and affordable housing. One of its major initiatives is a green jobs campaign that encourages energy efficiency projects for local contractors. Through this and similar programs, this organization responds to “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (Laudato Si’, no. 49).

The United Workers Association (UWA) is an organization of low-wage workers dedicated to addressing the root causes of poverty in the Baltimore area. One of UWA’s most successful campaigns prevented the construction of the nation’s largest trash incinerator less than a mile from two schools. Through community organizing, UWA helped indefinitely halt this project which would have contributed harmful amounts of air pollution affecting an already vulnerable community.

The Niibi Center is an organization in Crookston, Minnesota, dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Anishinaabe people. The Center is focused on defending key dimensions of Anishinaabe culture and knowledge, such as protecting water and wild rice, the cornerstones of their culture. Through educational and community programs, the Niibi Center upholds the dignity of the land and the people that inhabit it.

II. Activities Undertaken by Other National Catholic Organizations

1. Catholic Climate Covenant

In 2006, to address growing ecological awareness and the need to implement Catholic social teaching on ecology within the U.S. church, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops helped form Catholic Climate Covenant. Inspired by the USCCB’s 2001 statement on climate change and supported by 20 national partners (which include Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, the Catholic Health Association, congregations of religious men and women, and other national organizations), the Catholic Climate Covenant helps U.S. Catholics respond to the Church’s call to care for creation and care for the poor.

From the day Pope Francis published his revolutionary encyclical Laudato Si’ in 2015, Catholic Climate Covenant has been hard at work educating and mobilizing Catholics — lay and clergy alike — to care for creation and our common home across the U.S. Below are just a handful of their most prominent accomplishments in creation care, thanks to the guidance and encouragement in Laudato Si’.

  • Youth and Young Adults: The Catholic Climate Covenant is committed to engaging youth and young adults in the future of the Church and the planet. In 2019, the Covenant sponsored a conference at Creighton University to discuss the insights of Laudato Si’. The keynote address was delivered by then- Bishop Robert McElroy of the Diocese of San Diego and was attended by 225 people from 8 ministerial tracks. The Creighton conference is the first of three “Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church” conferences designed to more fully integrate Laudato Si’ into various ministries of the Catholic Church in our country. The conference was preceded and followed by related webinars on how parishes, schools, universities, and others could integrate Laudato Si’ into their communities. 

    In May 2020, the Journal of Moral Theology published Vol. 9, Special Issue 1, 2020: “Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church: A Conference Series on Our Common Home." The publication, edited by Creighton University professor and Covenant consultant, Daniel DiLeo, is a collection of articles from the conference intended to continue educating the public about the church’s social teachings. 

    The Catholic Climate Covenant also held a conference on Laudato Si’ in collaboration with USCCB and the Catholic University of America that led to a book edited by Dan DiLeo, All Creation Is Connected: Voices in Response to Pope Francis’s Encyclical on Ecology. 

    In 2022, Catholic Climate Covenant staff and Creighton University students met virtually with Pope Francis to seek his support for youth-led climate action through Loyola University Chicago’s Building Bridges program. That same year, young adults piloted the Wholemakers program — now a widely used creation care educational resource with over 600 downloads and 150 facilitator sign-ups in its first month. The Covenant has since hosted six Catholic Youth Climate Summits, organized by high school student leaders and featuring Mass, learning, and action planning. In 2024, Cardinal Cupich joined the Chicago summit. 

    The youth leaders have also organized and engaged in five state-level lobby days. The 2024-25 youth mobilization program includes 48 student leaders. For young adults, Common Home Corps — a leadership and spiritual formation initiative launched with Loyola and Creighton Universities — held its first five-day training in 2023, equipping 23 participants to lead climate action grounded in faith and Catholic Social Teaching
     
  • Creation Care Teams: One of the Covenant’s goals is mobilization.  Catholic Climate Covenant empowers Catholic creation care leaders to drive change in their communities, notably through over 400 Creation Care Teams in parishes, schools, religious communities, and Catholic institutions nationwide, representing thousands of members. These teams are resourced monthly by CCC staff and connect bi-monthly with staff and each other to exchange resources and strategies. The Interdiocesan Creation Care Network now includes 39 dioceses and archdioceses committed to Laudato Si’ efforts — an increase of 29 since 2020. 
     
  • Public Witness: In the fall of 2019, over 1,500 Catholic youth and young adults visited their Senators on Capitol Hill in support of the International Climate Accountability Act, handing their senators a petition signed by more than 58,000 people across the nation along with the Catholic Climate Declaration signed by more than 800 U.S. Catholic institutions calling for U.S. participation in international climate agreements. This effort was led by the Ignatian Solidarity Network and complemented by CCC, which initiated the declaration and petition as a collaborative effort during the Season of Creation. 

    In April 2022, CCC launched “Encounter for Our Common Home” with 11 partners, a national advocacy campaign that mobilizes hundreds to thousands of Catholics annually to lobby Congress on climate policy. The National Catholic Reporter called it “the most coordinated effort by Catholics” supporting the climate provisions of the Build Back Better agenda. In just two weeks, one letter-writing campaign generated over 1,000 letters to governors. A state-level expansion began in 2025. Over the past five years, the Covenant has consistently engaged public leaders: opposing the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling in July 2022, celebrating the Inflation Reduction Act in August, and coordinating nearly 300 Catholic institutions to send pro-climate letters to Congress. 

    They contributed reports to the USCCB Synod on Synodality in 2022 and 2024, hosted the “Texting for Creation” voter outreach initiative, and helped deliver a Catholic letter to the Biden Administration — signed by over 4,000 people — urging strong U.S. leadership at COP27. The Covenant concluded 2022 by advocating for Clean Cars standards and a national transition to zero-emission vehicles.
     
  • Education: This is a core focus for the Covenant. In partnership with Creighton University, the Covenant hosted the first virtual Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church Conference in 2021 (following an in-person Conference in 2019), drawing over 2,777 participants nationwide. The Covenant hosted the conference again in 2023, drawing over 3,512 participants. They also offer regular monthly webinars, plus annual offerings for Earth Day, Plastic Free July, and the Season of Creation — training over 1,264 local Earth Day leaders and 1,129 prayer service leaders. 

    The Covenant has had thousands of downloads of their program resources over the last five years. For the Earth Day program, in 2020 they had 3,106 program downloads; in 2021, 1,983; in 2022, 1,586; in 2023, 2,004; in 2025, 1,494, for a total of 12,281 downloads since 2020. The same can be said for their Feast of St. Francis annual program as well. In 2020, the program was downloaded 1,689 times; in 2021, 1,580; in 2022, 1,468; in 2023, 1,287; in 2024, 1,895, for a total of 7,918 downloads from 2020 to 2024. 

    Since October 2023, 2,366 people have taken the Laudate Deum Action Pledge. Since 2022, the Covenant hosted more than 26 webinars on climate topics like food systems and natural disasters. In July 2023, their “Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church” virtual conference reached over 3,000 attendees across eight sessions, while a 2022 webinar attracted over 6,000 viewers. During Laudato Si’ Week each May, they collaborate with partners like the Laudato Si’ Movement and the USCCB to amplify national action, including a 2022 campaign urging the Senate to pass $555 billion in climate investments. 

    Ongoing initiatives include Homily Helps, Bulletin Inserts, seasonal resources for Lent and Advent.
  • Looking ahead to the 2025 Season of Creation and key anniversaries — Laudato Si’ (10 years), the Canticle of the Creatures (800 years), and the Jubilee of Hope — the Covenant is partnering with over 20 Catholic organizations to promote Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation across the U.S., inviting Catholics to deepen their spiritual and ecological commitments (catholicpilgrimsofhope.org).
     
  • Laudato Si’ Action Platform: As the U.S. lead for the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform, the Covenant helped design the initiative and place U.S. experts in key Vatican workgroups. They promoted the Vatican’s soft launch on the Feast of St. Francis (October 4, 2021), an annual effort that now equips over 2,186 local leaders with webinars, toolkits, and calls to action.

    To unify and celebrate U.S. efforts, the Catholic Climate Covenant launched the “God’s Planet” campaign and website in 2021 and revamped it in 2024 to align with the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (godsplanet.us). Through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform 2,298 unified actions from people and institutions in the U.S. Also, 1,324 of those actions were taken by families and individuals, while 974 actions were taken by institutions. Globally, there are 10,060 enrollments, 4,904 of which were from institutions, and 5,156 were from families and individuals. CCC also trained 200 participants through pastoral programs in Toledo and Sacramento.

    In 2021, Catholic Climate Covenant, on behalf of the Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters, created the Victory Noll Sisters small grant program, awarding funds to Catholic communities nationwide to support local creation care initiatives. The first cycle in 2022 awarded $97,115 in grants to 100 organizations. The second cycle that year awarded $75,000 in grants to 77 organizations. In 2024, the program expanded. During the first cycle, $85,000 in grants were awarded to 91 organizations. But in the second cycle, the Covenant decided to try something new — they awarded two major $20,000 grants to support large-scale net-zero projects. One went to the Waukesha County Creation Care Network — formed by four Milwaukee parishes — for a project aimed at cutting operational costs and carbon emissions across the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. 

    The second supported a joint initiative by the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Dioceses of Fort Wayne-South Bend and Gary, which will use Constellation Energy’s Navigator Carbon Accounting Platform to assess baseline emissions and develop net-zero pathways for nearly 800 Catholic buildings. Additionally, a $75,000 donation from the Seelos Foundation in 2022 enabled the Covenant to expand small grant offerings in honor of Blessed Francis X. Seelos, C.Ss.R.
     
  • Catholic Energies: To advance the spirit of Laudato Si’, the Covenant launched in 2017 the Catholic Energies program, a national effort that helps Catholic facility owners lower energy costs through solar, storage, and efficiency projects. Since 2017, Catholic Energies has developed 35 solar projects in 14 states and Puerto Rico. Six projects are currently underway in five states. Participating organizations now save utility costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and become a witness to the wider community that the Catholic Church cares about our common home. 
     
  • CathCAP: In spring of 2025, the Covenant will launch CathCAP (Catholic Climate Action Projects), a type of carbon offset program co-sponsored by the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests. CathCAP will provide an opportunity for individuals and institutions to offset carbon pollution through donations used for local Laudato Si’-aligned eco-projects (cathcap.org). 
     
  • Recognizing Leaders and Storytelling: In 2023, the Covenant launched an award series honoring faith and environment leaders, called “U.S. Laudato Si’ Champion Awards.” In December 2023, the Covenant launched the God’s Creation Needs You video series, spotlighting six Catholic communities and earning a first-place Catholic Media Association Award in 2024.

2. Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international humanitarian and development agency of the U.S. Catholic church, works in over 100 countries to save lives and build lasting resilience. Since Pope Francis’ groundbreaking encyclical, Laudato Si’, CRS has taken a public stance on climate change and its effect on the most vulnerable around the world. 

In response to Pope Francis’s call in Laudato Si’, CRS has been helping vulnerable communities confront the growing challenges of climate change through emergency response, disaster risk reduction and long-term development. In 2020, CRS published their strategic vision for 2030, which identifies Care for Creation as a key priority and two of the four strategic goals are related to the environment.

When extreme weather strikes – droughts, hurricanes, floods – CRS and its partners deliver lifesaving aid. To reduce future risks, CRS invests in disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programming, engaging vulnerable communities to identify risks and design plans for preparedness, response, or recovery from climatic hazards like floods, storms, drought, landslides, and fire. Their DRR programs have reached over 30 countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and lay the foundation for long-term resilience.

CRS integrates climate risks into its agriculture and livelihoods program through nature-based regenerative agriculture approaches like water smart agriculture, agroforestry, dryland Regreening, rangeland management and watershed restoration at farm and landscape levels. These approaches have helped millions of smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia and South America adapt to climate change, increase yields by up to 50%, and restore over 1.5 million hectares of degraded land, contributing to climate change mitigation. Financial tools like saving and internal lending groups knowns as Saving and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) have strengthened the adaptive capacity of over 5 million vulnerable and often marginalized people (especially women, youth and elderly smallholder farmers) through economic empowerment. 

Furthermore, CRS works with governments to shape policies to ensure that climate smart practices are sustainable. This includes engagement with initiatives such as the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan/ Soil Initiative for Africa engagements. In El Salvador, CRS worked with the government and a range of stakeholders in a debt-for-nature swap that will unlock $350 million to restore the Rio Lempa watershed, which provides water for two-thirds of the country. 

Climate adaptation remains critically underfunded compared to mitigation, leaving vulnerable communities without the support they urgently need. CRS is actively addressing this gap by pursuing diverse sources of climate finance – including high-integrity carbon finance partnerships – to expand its adaptation programs. Through community led projects like Restore Africa, which supports 700,000 smallholder farmers and aims to restore 900,000 hectares in Uganda and Malawi, CRS delivers lasting benefits in food security, livelihoods, and land restoration. 

CRS also mobilizes Catholics in the U.S. to support our common home. Former CRS President and CEO, Dr. Carolyn Woo, spoke at the Vatican during the release of Laudato Si’. Following the release of the encyclical CRS launched the Climate Change: I am the Cause I am the Solution Campaign engaging students across 75 college campus’ in advocacy actions in support of CRS/USCCB policy positions related to climate change. 

In January of 2016, CRS launched a 12-month multi-media campaign targeting Catholic media outlets in the US. Climate Change it Changes Everything featured stories highlighting the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities around the world and illustrated innovative community led adaptation approaches such as climate smart agriculture, natural resource management, and disaster risk reduction.

In 2020 CRS launched the Lead the Way on Hunger Campaign featuring content designed to illustrate the complex causes of hunger and malnutrition and highlight innovative environmentally friendly approaches to reducing hunger and malnutrition. The Laudato Si’ week of Prayer and Action was a key component of the Hunger Campaign launch activities.

The need for finance for climate adaptation is critical. That’s why CRS launched a climate campaign in 2022: to educate and mobilize supporters, advocate to the US government to support programs and policies that help vulnerable communities manage climate risks so they can thrive.

With lives and livelihoods at stake, this is also a profound opportunity for U.S. Catholics to live out the Gospel call – to care for their neighbors, no matter where they live and to protect God’s creation through faithful action and advocacy. Since 2022, CRS has participated in the annual United Nations Climate Conference of Parties (COP) meetings to support global cooperation on climate action. Pope Francis viewed these forums as vital expressions of solidarity that, with strong political will, can help protect our common home. 

In line with Laudato Si’s call for an ecological conversion, CRS is also reducing its own carbon footprint and strengthening environmental sustainability across all operations. 

3. Catholic Charities USA

In any given year, Catholic Charities agencies support hundreds of thousands of vulnerable individuals and families recovering from disasters, including raising homes, strengthening roofs and other mitigating actions. 

In recognition of this, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) has made it a priority to support its member agencies in adapting to this reality through their programs and advocacy.

  • In 2015, CCUSA joined with the White House, under the Obama administration, to help local communities prepare for and be resilient to natural disasters associated with climate change. 
     
  • In 2017, CCUSA hosted over 100 disaster practitioners for a full day of learning at The Collider, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the world prepare, adapt and become resilient in the face of intensifying climate change. 
     
  • In 2018, CCUSA collaborated closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to build the capacity of agencies to advance their climate resilience activities. First, CCUSA facilitated a network-wide webinar exploring the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. This was followed by having the NOAA Chief Data Scientist address over 200 Catholic Charities disaster practitioners at CCUSA’s annual disaster training conference (the Applied Institute for Disaster Excellence, or “AIDE”) on understanding the drivers of climate change and the implications for the poor and vulnerable. 
     
  • In 2019, CCUSA signed the Catholic Climate Declaration to affirm the commitment of U.S. Catholic institutions to stand by the Paris Agreement and help meet its goals. Through Caritas Internationalis, CCUSA received a grant to work with Catholic Relief Services to implement the Farm Bill as it relates to domestic and global food security, with a special consideration for vulnerable populations as they relate to agriculture and climate change. CCUSA has also offered workshops on Laudato Si’ for its staff and participants at its annual O’Grady Leadership Institutes and has produced and distributed a prayer resource on the care of creation.
     
  • For the 5th anniversary, the February 2020 issue of Charities USA,  the magazine of Catholic Charities USA, focused upon Laudato Si’ and Care of Creation.
     
  • CCUSA has taken several steps to make their own operations sustainable such as creating a plastics-free work environment and the national office committed to move the national office to 100% renewable energy. 

    They studied how the vision of Laudato Si’ is reflected in all of CCUSA’s present strategic priorities and foundational services and created a tool for Catholic Charities diocesan directors on how to implement the vision of Laudato Si’ in their agencies. Some agencies have adopted Laudato Si’ Action Plans. Through Catholic Energies, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington has one of the largest solar arrays in the District of Columbia, powering their 14 buildings. Catholic Charities of Stockton has a Laudato Si’ Action Plan and a long-standing environmental justice program. Through their local agencies they are supporting resilient food systems, such as supporting rural and urban community gardens and distributing the food through food banks and farmers markets.
     
  • CCUSA is very active member and collaborator with the Catholic Climate Covenant. Two of their national staff are on the board of directors.  
     
  • In 2025, CCUSA is collaborating with other Catholic organizations on Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation to celebrate Jubilee and Laudato Si’. They are encouraging their network of agencies to host or collaborate with others to organize one locally. 

4. Catholic Rural Life

For the last five years, Catholic Rural Life has been promoting a program entitled, The Vocation of the Agricultural Leader in which they highlight many of the points articulated in Laudato Si'. The document and presentations have been given to thousands of farmers in the U.S. and internationally through collaborations with national farmer organizations and the World Farmers Organizations. 

  • In 2014 and in 2018, CRL hosted a national conference on the Vocation of the Agricultural Leader where 110 and 120 leaders respectively attended and discussed the role farmers and food leaders play in stewarding natural resources while feeding a hungry world.
     
  • Starting in 2024 CRL introduced another program targeting pastors (priests) in rural communities entitled, Thriving in Rural Ministry. This 4-day retreat and follow-up program shares best practices for rural priests in their ministries. One of the key modules is on Integral Ecology, in which CRL introduces many pastors to the rich teaching of Laudato Si'. CRL has hosted two retreats so far. The program will continue for at least five years and reach hundreds of pastors in rural communities throughout the U.S.
     
  • Finally, since 2020, CRL has presented to dioceses and parishes in rural communities on Laudato Si' and the Countryside, focusing on the responsibility of Catholics to both learn the rich teaching of Laudato Si', but also how to apply in rural settings. CRL has presented on college campuses, at Cathedrals, seminaries, and in rural parishes.

5. Catholic Health Association

The Catholic health ministry serves communities by healing the sick, serving the poor and vulnerable, and leading by example. Inspired by the Catholic faith and values, the Catholic health ministry has formed a partnership with sponsors, systems, facilities and with experts in environmental responsibility to reduce the environmental burden of the health care they provide.

  • When, in 2015, Pope Francis shared his encyclical, Laudato Si’ – teaching the world that care for the things of the earth is necessarily bound together with care of one another, especially the poor, CHA produced several resources—videos, articles, reflection resources—to help Catholic health ministry consider their response in light of the Holy Father’s message.
     
  • In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ the Catholic Health Association of the United States created resources to raise awareness of the encyclical, including reflection resources. For Laudato Si’ week 2020, CHA developed nine celebration resources:

    Laudato Si Week - Session 1
    Laudato Si Week - Session 2
    Laudato Si Week - Session 3
    Laudato Si Week - Session 4
    Laudato Si Week - Session 5
    Laudato Si Week - Session 6
    Laudato Si Week - Session 7
    Laudato Si Week - Session 8
    Laudato Si Week - Session 9
     
  • In 2021 CHA joined the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP), an initiative out of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, which provides a comprehensive framework for the global Church to take concrete action to address the economic, social, ethical and spiritual roots of the ecological crisis. CHA co-chaired the Health and Healing LSAP workgroup which focused on engaging Catholic health care in the Platform. CHA is also enrolled in the Platform as a participant.
     
  • In 2021 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services established the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity to address the impact of climate change on the health of the American people. One of the first actions of the office was to issue a voluntary Health Sector Climate Pledge to the U.S. health sector asking participants to reach certain emissions reduction targets and to develop climate resiliency plans that help their communities weather the impacts of climate change, with a focus on disadvantaged groups that are disproportionately impacted. Catholic health systems were among the first to sign up for the pledge and they have issued climate resiliency plans that are anchored in community health and equity. While government backing for the pledge has been ended, Catholic health care continues commitments to reduce its carbon emissions and to make their communities resilient to the impacts of climate change.
     
  • CHA and its members continue to work with Catholic partners such as the Catholic Climate Covenant and national organizations such as Health Care Without Harm and the American Hospital Association to ensure the values laid out in Laudate Deum and Laudato Si’ – human dignity, justice, and equity - are recognized in health care environmental sustainability policies and practices. See CHA’s policy brief on Care for Creation.
     
  • To raise awareness of two central issues in Laudato Si’ – cry of the Earth and cry of the poor – CHA hosted a 2025 webinar on the plastics crisis titled “How Mission and Medicine Can Work Together to Care for Creation, Protect Health and Advance Justice."
     
  • CHA is a sponsoring organization of the 2025 Pilgrims of Hope for Creation initiative. The initiative calls for Catholics and Catholic institutions to reflect on the profound relationship between God, humanity and creation and to take concrete steps toward healing the Earth and renewing their spiritual commitment to care for creation. CHA is working with its members to plan pilgrimages that can serve as a formation experience to help colleagues understand and embrace the organization’s mission to be a steward of creation.

6. Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA

Across the country, St. Vincent de Paul Conferences and Councils operate 450 thrift stores that are committed to minimizing consumption by maximizing the reuse of clothing, furniture, and other goods.

  • Communities with SVdP thrift stores divert thousands of materials from landfills, keeping them in productive use, which will only increase as they reopen and begin accepting donations.
     
  • Hundreds more Vincentian locations operate food pantries and dining programs which, in addition to fighting hunger and ensuring neighbors are well fed, help to redistribute unsold food from grocery stores that would otherwise be discarded. Additionally, many programs work with local farms and suppliers to use excess and ripe fresh produce that could otherwise go unconsumed and discarded.
     
  • In 2017, the National Council of the United States approved a first-of-its-kind joint Statement on Environmental Stewardship and Ecological Conversion in partnership with the national councils of the Society in Canada and Mexico. This was the first time these three councils worked together on a transcontinental commitment to an issue, underscoring that the world is our common home and reflecting the importance of collaboration in addressing climate change.
     
  • In 2018, the Society’s national council approved a two-page position paper, “Environment and Climate Change,” which was updated in 2022. 
III. Conclusion

The foregoing is but a summary of the areas of activity in which many in the Catholic Church throughout the United States have been moved to respond to Pope Francis’ message in this important encyclical. 

This is not an exhaustive list of the breadth and depth of the ways Catholics have put words into action. Numerous Catholic dioceses, parishes, institutions, religious orders, lay associations, communities and individuals not mentioned here have contributed through projects, programs and activities as well as by their prayers and daily actions, to lifting the message of Laudato Si’.

The work is the early fruits of the seeds planted in 2015 and will continue in the years ahead. 

1Prior to the publication of Laudato Si’ the U.S. bishops were active in the promotion of creation care education, advocacy and policy, following the guidelines of the 1991 USCCB pastoral statement Renewing the Earth and the 2001 USCCB statement Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good.
 






 

 



 

 

 

2025-summary-activities-laudato-si.pdf

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