Giving Voice to our Common Home


Our Focus

  • Ecological Education
  • Sustainable Practices
  • Solidarity with the Poor
  • Advocacy & Public Witness
  • Community Conversion


“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life

of virtue.” 

(Pope Francis LS #217)

Our Commitment:

As Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Associates, and partners in ministry, we believe care for creation is an expression of who we are. Rooted in the Gospel and inspired by the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare, we recognize the earth as gift, sacrament, and shared home. Listening to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, we commit ourselves to ongoing ecological conversion through prayer, education, and action.


To give this commitment concrete expression, we created the Laudato Si’ Committee as a dedicated forum for thoughtful discussion of resources and ongoing education within our community. The Committee meets regularly to reflect together, explore Church teaching and ecological resources, and discern practical steps that align with the goals of the Laudato Si' Action Platform. For 2026 we are focusing on ecological economics to see how everything in creation is connected and how our everyday choices affect the larger web of life. We believe that small, faithful decisions, made with awareness and reverence can help renew our common home.



Our commitment to the Laudato Si' Platform

The actions listed below reflect how we sought to live out our commitment to the Laudato Si’ Platform in concrete and meaningful ways.


Ecological Economics (2026)

Ecological economics helps us see that how we live, consume, and conserve affects the whole web of life. We strive to continue providing resources to increase our awareness of thoughtful choices that care for both people and planet, trusting that small, actions matter.


Cry of the Earth & Cry of the Poor (2025)

We recognized that the suffering of the earth and the suffering of the poor are deeply connected. We committed ourselves to growing in awareness through education, prayer, and concrete action.


Sustainable Lifestyles & Ecological Spirituality (2024)

We embraced the call to adopt sustainable lifestyles rooted in simplicity, gratitude, and mindful stewardship of creation. We deepened our awareness of God’s presence in the natural world, allowing prayer and contemplation to shape the choices we made each day. We offered a regular InnerCom "Did You Know" column highlighting practical steps and thoughtful product choices that invited greater awareness of our consumption habits.


Ecological Education (2023)

We began by strengthening our understanding of integral ecology through study, dialogue, and shared reflection. By educating Sisters, Associates, and partners in ministry, we laid a foundation for informed action rooted in faith.


A sign on a post in a grassy area features a watercolor painting of a colorful nebula with text about the universe's origin.

Ecological conversion begins in the heart, we place special emphasis on educating and accompanying Sisters and Associates as we grow together in awareness, responsibility, and hope.

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Laudato Si’ Week
 Each May, Catholics around the world join in Laudato Si’ Week, a time of prayer, reflection, and action to commemorate the anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Held from May 17–24 in 2026, this week highlights joy, hope, and renewed commitment to caring for creation and the most vulnerable, inviting communities to grow together in faith-driven ecological response.

Season of Creation
(Care for Creation Month)
From September 1 through October 4 each year, Christians celebrate the Season of Creation, a liturgical time to honor our relationship with the earth through prayer, worship, and action. Starting with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and concluding with the Feast of St. Francis, this season calls us to recognize all creation as sacred and to respond faithfully to its needs.


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Pray | Learn | Act

Text titled

Pray

Ecological conversion begins in prayer. As we contemplate creation, we grow in gratitude, reverence, and responsibility.

A golden sunset glows over a calm body of water, framed by tall stalks of grass in the foreground.

Learn

Formation deepens awareness and strengthens our response to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

  • ● Laudato Si' – Full text and summaries

    Learn More Here

  • ● Laudato Si' Action Platform – Goals and practical resources

    Learn More Here

  • ● Catholic Climate Covenant – Educational toolkits and parish programs

    Learn More Here

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Act

Small, faithful actions matter. Our everyday choices shape the well-being of our common home.