“Praise be to you my Lord, with all your creatures,” prayed St. Francis of Assisi, well before the Season of Creation began. With this simple but profound prayer, he has encouraged believers of many generations to recognize creation as the fruit of God’s eternal Love.
Season of Creation is a time of grace that the Church, in ecumenical dialogue, offers to humanity to renew its relationship with the Creator and with creation, through celebration, conversion and commitment together.
In other words, the Season of Creation is the annual ecumenical celebration of prayer and action for our common home.
When will we gather?
The Season of Creation begins on September 1, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
Individuals and communities are invited to participate through prayer, sustainability projects and advocacy.
- Prayer: Host an ecumenical prayer gathering that unites all Christians for the care of our common home.
- Sustainability: Lead a cleanup project that helps all of creation thrive.
- Advocacy: Raise your voice for climate justice by participating in or leading an ongoing campaign, such as the fossil fuel divestment movement.
We invite you to plan your own participation for the season. As a first step, visit seasonofcreation.org.
For this year, the proposed theme is: “Listening to the voice of creation” with the symbol of the burning bush. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many have become familiar with the concept of being silenced in conversations. Many voices are silenced in the public discourse on climate change and the ethics of Earth conservation.
They are voices of those who suffer the impacts of climate change. They are voices of people who possess ancestral wisdom about how to live with gratitude within the limits of Earth. They are voices of a diminishing diversity of species rather than humans. It is the voice of the Earth.