Lenten calendar to save the Earth

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

How about doing something this Lent for the common good – caring for “our common home” and the people who live on Earth with us?
The diocese’s Environmental Stewardship Ministry has numerous suggestions – at least one a day – for this season of repentance and conversion. It has prepared a daily calendar, which can be accessed several ways (see below) and which gives suggestions and information about preserving the environment, including links to videos.
“We’re anxious to increase awareness of ‘Laudato Si’’ and Catholic social teaching on the environment,” Peter Dunbeck, chairman of the Environmental Stewardship Ministry, said. “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” is Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical about the environment.
“The Lenten season is a great opportunity for inviting families to reflect on their impact on the environment,” Mr. Dunbeck said. “We all have responsibility to care for creation and for stewardship of the environment.” He said the calendar is designed to challenge people to discuss with family and friends what they can do – and start doing it.
Father Paul T. O’Connell, a member of the Environmental Stewardship Ministry, said the calendar is “extremely helpful to priests” aiding them in “being connected with their parishioners and together being sensitive to environmental issues.” They can celebrate each day of the Lenten season doing something for the environment, said Father O’Connell, associate judicial vicar of the diocese and senior priest at St. Anne Parish in Shrewsbury.
Mr. Dunbeck said the calendar is an updated version of one he and others from the Environmental Stewardship Ministry at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Westborough put together in 2017.
 “It was very well received,” he said. “Msgr. Mike Foley (the pastor) was very enthused about it and encouraged me to do it again, which is what brought me to do it with the diocesan team” for environmental stewardship. That ministry helped update it for the whole diocese to use this Lent, he said.
In 2017 St. Luke’s inserted the calendar in the parish bulletin, handed it out to religious education students and had a daily posting on the parish Facebook page, Mr. Dunbeck said.
“I would encourage other parishes to distribute it in their bulletin” this Lent, Mr. Dunbeck said. It can be printed from the website, https://environment.worcesterdiocese.org/lent-2020-calendar.
“This calendar of facts and actions is a family program to engage everyone in thoughtful discussion about our relationship with God’s creation and our obligations to each other,” says an introduction. “We hope this leads to changes in our lifestyles and creates an awareness of our impact on others, particularly the poor.”
The first Friday of Lent says: “Producing a pound of beef generates 13 times the amount of carbon as producing a pound of vegetables. Start a meatless Friday habit … by abstaining from meat on Fridays in Lent.” The calendar marks the Fridays of Lent as days of abstinence from meat.
The calendar also offers some links to websites for background and reflection.
“We believe that God created the world and all living things,” says the March 10 calendar square. “Creation reflects God’s glory.” For the day’s action it suggests that we discuss the modern meaning of the phrase in Genesis 2:15 – “to keep and cultivate the garden.” It asks: “What is expected of us to ‘keep it’?”
“The environment … is on loan to each generation, which must then hand it on to the next,” says the March 13 square, quoting a pastoral letter of the Portuguese bishops’ conference that is noted in “Laudato Si.’” “Discuss with the oldest members of your family their perspectives on protecting the environment. Express your hopes for the future.”
Among actions the calendar suggests are: lowering consumption, recycling, composting, buying local produce or growing your own, drinking tap water from a refillable bottle, planting trees, turning the thermostat down and the water and lights off, choosing energy-efficient appliances and vehicles, carpooling, supporting organizations which help the environment and telling state representatives to “act with justice on climate change.”
“Easter is a celebration of the hope of the Resurrection after the despair of the crucifixion,” the calendar says after the April 12 square. “The challenges of environmental damage and climate change can seem insurmountable. However, there is reason for great hope. Mankind has shown an ability to respond collectively for the common good when needed.” This reflection mentions impacts of clean air and clean water laws and the removal of hazardous substances such as asbestos.
The calendar concludes by thanking those who reflected on these things during Lent and adds, “Please use these suggested actions to make lifelong changes.”

– The Environmental Stewardship Ministry can be contacted at EnvironmentWorcester@gmail.com for more information.


Four ways to participate:

• Download calendar from the Diocese of Worcester website: https://environment.worcesterdiocese.org/lent-2020-calendar. (A Spanish version is to be available after Feb. 24.)
• Follow the Environmental Stewardship Ministry on Facebook.com/EnvironmentWORC.
• Join the Lent 2020 Calendar Flocknote group to get weekly reminders. Text EnvLent2020 to 84576 or login at  https://worcesterenv.flocknote.com/Lent2020Calendar and join this group. (Unsubscribe at any time.)
•  Read The Catholic Free Press to see one week of the calendar at a time, throughout Lent.