Commitment to the “integrity of creation” acknowledges that human beings are within the community of creation and intimately interrelated with every other dimension of creation. Humans are called to recognize their kinship in the one creation of God.
The Christian mandate “to love one’s neighbor” extends not only to other human beings but to every facet of creation. The human community is called to live in a mutually life-enhancing relationship with all of creation.
Respect for the integrity of creation is a moral issue (Pope John Paul II). It requires an end to dualism and all forms of oppression and exploitation and calls for personal and communal conversion from an “arrogant eye to a loving eye,” to new thinking and new living. Solidarity with all creation and ecological conversion involves action. “It is not only a radical reorientation of thought, and it is not only the discovery of a new capacity for feeling for nonhuman creation. It is both of these issuing forth in personal, political, and ecclesial action” (Denis Edwards, Ecology at the Heart of Faith).
As the desire of Jesus that all be one becomes more fully our own, our striving for unity embraces all humanity and the whole of creation”You Are Sent, Constitution of the School Sisters of Notre Dame
Catholic Social Teaching and Care for Creation
The Catholic Social Teaching website offers information and resources to better understand this issue.
Becoming a Laudato Si' Congregation
The School Sisters of Notre Dame has a long history of working for the care of creation and protecting the poor and marginalized. In May 2021, we made a commitment to become a Laudato Si' congregation. We invite you to learn more and join us on this journey >>
Now that you know here’s what you can do
- Share the Information above with your network of friends, faith community, your network of contacts
- Take Action: Make a call to your President or Prime Minister
- Pray: Praying Nature Prayers
- Contact your U.S. legislators
The United States ranks second only to China as the world’s largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions. Because carbon in the atmosphere causes a greenhouse effect, blocking the earth’s capacity to regulate temperature, the planet is warming up and there are consequences to the loss of the planet’s equilibrium. Unfortunately, the plan of the present U.S. administration is to roll back policies that curbed carbon emission and otherwise protected the planet’s life systems including water, air and soil. It is critical that the people of the United States remain aware and engaged with the U.S. policies that can adversely affect the planet.
Learn more
According to experts, climate change is a real threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Taking action now can secure our future. Read the PICC Sixth Assessment Report
Resources for additional information:
- Becoming a Laudato Si' Congregation
- Catholic Climate Covenant
- UISG Sowing Hope for the Planet Initiative
- 10 Tips to reduce your plastic footprint
- Season of Creation (9/1 – 10/4)
- Citizens’ Climate Lobby
- Story of Stuff
- Calculate your carbon footprint
- Reduce your carbon footprint
What does this have to do with our faith commitment?
Throughout their history, the School Sisters of Notre Dame have joined their voices with others around the world to call each other and the human community to live more justly. More recent is the deeper realization that the commitment to the integrity of creation must be at the heart of the work for justice and peace in the world today.
Fundamental to belief in the integrity of all of creation is the Christian conviction that all of creation is sacred because God is the creator of life and that creation is a source of the revelation of God.