St. Francis of Assisi Parish

Happy summer! We hope you can enjoy some of the beauty of God’s Creation here in Western Washington. Take a walk and enjoy some quiet prayer time in your neighborhood or at Seahurst Park. 

Frances Davis, former Outreach Staff, called the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching the best kept secret of the Catholic Church. I would agree. The seventh theme from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Care for God's Creation

“We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan; it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.”

Please save the date of Sunday September 14 after 10 am mass for Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation - 

https://catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/ “Catholic communities across the United States are organizing local pilgrimages as sacred opportunities to pray for the grace to encounter Christ in Creation and renew our relationships with God, the Earth, and one another.”

From the toolkit for Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation: “Yet we are “out of right relationship” with God’s creation. When our relationships with creation, each other, and God are broken, all suffer. Environmental harm today impacts human health, intensifies natural disasters, and impedes our witness to the Gospel—especially our call to stand with and serve the poor. As Pope Francis teaches in Laudato Si’, environmental degradation disproportionately affects the vulnerable. This is a matter of our Gospel call. Many Catholics feel this deeply: over three in four believe they have a personal moral responsibility to act. But awareness of the Church’s teaching in this area remains limited.  Just one in ten Catholics say they truly understand what environmental justice means, and most have never encountered Laudato Si’. That is why this moment—this Jubilee and joint-anniversary year—is a time of both opportunity and urgency.”

 We are in the midst of planning a walk around the parish property that includes stops at stations which share a common theme of Care for Creation.   Please let us know if you would like to join in on the planning and creation of stations around the parish property along with our parish family for all to engage with.

Some of the current ideas include:

-St Francis of Assisi Statue area: The message of St Francis for the environment

-Salmon Protection

-Native Plants

-Water-wise

-Recycling, composting and wise use of resources

-Enjoying the beautiful features of our parish grounds

To begin the Annual Season of Creation here is an opportunity to join in the celebration of mass on:

Saturday September 6, 5:30 p.m. at St James Cathedral

Please email us if you would like to carpool etc. 

From the Archdiocese website: “Celebrate the Mass for Creation with Archbishop Etienne. This brand-new mass is to help kick-off our celebration of the Annual Season of Creation, a month-long prayerful observance that calls the planets 2.2 billion Christians to pray and care for God’s Creation. “ 

If you are interested in becoming involved with the Life, Justice and Peace committee, you can get in touch with us at stfoa.ljp@gmail.com  Our Zoom meetings are usually the last Monday of the month at 7 pm.