September 1 is the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and begins the Season of Prayer for Creation which extends to October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. This major global ecumenical stewardship initiative began in 1989 under the leadership of the Orthodox Church.
Pope Francis established the Day for the Catholic Church by a letter dated August 6, 2015, and addressed to Cardinals Peter Turkson and Kurt Koch, respectively the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.
Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church will join in the celebration of “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation” annually on September 1.
It’s a good opportunity to consider the message of the Pope’s recent encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.
For helpful resources, go to the website of the Global Catholic Climate Movement. Join us during these 4 weeks in praying Pope Francis' two prayers for creation, included in Laudato Si!