All Are Welcome! More Info
Registration Form
More Info

Laudato Si’

Praise Be! On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis’s Encyclical on Care for Creation.

Laudato Si’ Vatican Video

About the Encyclical

“‘Laudato Si’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord.’”  So opens Pope Francis’ much anticipated ecology encyclical, a hopeful meditation on God’s creative love that calls each of usto more fully respond to the central Catholic teaching that “the earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters” (Joy of the Gospel, no. 183).

Pope Francis seeks to answer a vital question: “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” His answer: a wide-ranging vision animated by the conviction that “we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it” (Laudato Si’ [LS], no. 229).  Read more.

Catholic Relief Services Video On Care for God’s Creation

One Simple Act

At St. James we are stepping up to our shared responsibility for creation by taking the One Simple Act Challenge. Each month we are learning simple ways we can make a positive impact on our shared environment. Join us in this effort.

December – Green and Local Holiday Gift Ideas.

Check out these great gift ideas

from the Waukesha County Green Team

November – Conserve Energy.

We use energy for lots of things. Lighting, heating and air conditioning, small appliances, dishwasher, dryer, clothes washer, refrigerator, stove, water heater, personal hygiene appliances, cell phone, tablet, computers, microwave, radio, television, and more!!! The vast majority of our electricity in southeastern WI is generated from coal extracted from deep within the earth and shipped over a 1000 miles from Wyoming to Wisconsin.  Coal is inexpensive, but it is also the top source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.  Make a point to turn off lights when not used, unplug electronics and countertop appliances when not in use, air dry laundry when possible, when feasible use a desk lamp rather than turning on all the lights in a room, replace incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs. Make conscious decisions about what stays plugged in and what does not.   Take One Simple Act

October – Eliminate the common use of water bottles.

U.S. consumers buy more than a half billion bottles of water every week – enough to circle the globe more than 5 times. 80% of those water bottles end up in landfills, in oceans and are scattered as common liter. Rather than buy individual water bottles, carry a reusable water container that is filled from your own tap. Put out a pitcher of water and glasses at events and meetings. Take One Simple Act.

September – Rescue items from landfill.

St. James is rescuing sheets, blankets and scrubs from a local hospital and redistributing these items through St. Ben’s, Guest House, St. Michael’s, House of Peace, MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary and more so that people in need can use them. These items would otherwise be disposed of in landfill. Americans make up 3% of the world’s population, yet we produce 35% of the world’s garbage and spend more on garbage bags than 90 other nations spend on everything. Are you aware of items going to landfill that could be rescued, recycled, donated or redistributed to someone else to use? Take One Simple Act.

Laudato Si’ at Our Common Home – St. James

The St James Laudato Si’ Core Team is finding ways to change the environmental ecology of OUR common home.

So far we have:

  • Switched to ceramic cups from Styrofoam in the Great Room.
  • Switched from Styrofoam plates and cups to paper for all church use
  • Began investigating replacement of older lighting with more long term cost effective LED technology