Care for Creation

The Season of Creation is now- Sept. 1 - Oct. 4! 

Evie Houhlihan, a 2nd grader at St. Columbkille School in Dubuque, won our 2024 Archdiocesan schools' Earth Day poster contest. She and her teacher, Ms. Linda Johnson, received $100 awards for winning our contest, which was held to raise awareness of the critical Catholic Social Teaching of Caring for God's Creation.

 First- and second-grade students from our Archdiocesan schools submitted entries at the end of March, and judging was held in early April.   Entries were judged on originality, creativity, and how they conveyed the theme of "Care for God's Creation."   

 Additional winners in our contest are (click on name to see their entry):
First runner-up ($75 award):          Gweyn Lynch          St. Columbille- Dubuque
Second runner-up ($25 award):    Lenni HinnoJosa     St. Piux X- Cedar Rapids

 The Archdiocese Department of Life, Earth, and Social Justice made a matching donation to the Catholic Climate Covenant, helping them continue educating the faithful about Care for God's Creation.  Visit their website at CatholicClimateCovenant.org.

 Thank you to all who entered our contest!

Archdiocesan Pastoral Center Staff volunteer on Earth Day 2024 to plant trees at New Melleray Abbey

On Monday, April 22nd (Earth Day), ten employees from the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center planted nearly 1,800 tree saplings at the New Melleray Abbey, home of the Trappist Monks.  This volunteer team-building activity brought staff together and impacted the environment by helping create a natural buffer between the farm fields and nearby Catfish Creek.  New Melleray Abbey Forester John Schroeder led the group and noted that the number of trees planted on this day was equivalent to what he and his helper could do in four days.  Thank you to all those who participated!  

Pictured from left to right:  Dcn. Brian Zeman, Matt Selby, Jen Hayes, Jenny Litterer, Kim Schmidt, Joanne Pohland, Karen Hoeger, Dcn. John Stierman, Cassie Bird, Forester John Schroeder, and Jeff Schneider

Would you like to start a  "Creation Care Team?"
The Archdiocese of Dubuque and the Catholic Climate Covenant would like to support your launch of a Creation Care Team.  

What is a Creation Care Team? (CCT)  It is a group that enables committed Catholics to look at ways to address the various threats to our environment through action and advocacy.  Your CCT could be within your parish, school, religious community, or workplace.  Within a parish, a Creation Care Team could be a sub-committee of your parish Social Justice Committee or a stand-alone group; either way, you'd be uniting people to make a difference.  

To find out more, please get in touch with Deacon Brian Zeman, Director of Life, Earth, and Social Justice Ministry, or visit catholicclimatecovenant.org/program/creation-care-teams