On September 13, Sacred Heart and St. Benedict the Moor invite Catholics to participate in a Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation. Archbishop Michael McGovern will begin at 9 a.m. by celebrating Mass outdoors at Miller Park. As pilgrims, we will then walk to the nearby North Omaha Station to pray and stand in solidarity with vulnerable sisters and brothers impacted by environmental pollution.
The event coincides with the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the Church’s encyclical on care for God’s creation. Pope Leo XIV praised Laudato Si’ in his 2025 Prayer for the Care of Creation and indicated it will be important to his papacy. The Archdiocese of Omaha will commemorate the encyclical anniversary with Reading Groups that begin around October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
Laudato Si’ reiterated core aspects of Church teaching consistently affirmed by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Creation is a good gift with inherent dignity and for which we are to care. Creation care is essentially related to love of God and neighbor: God is present in all creation and people suffer from ecological harm, especially the poor and vulnerable. It also requires action from both individuals and communities across society and within the Church. All this is why St. John Paul II declared that for Christians, care for God’s creation is “an essential part of their faith.”
Although experiences like the Pilgrimage are important to what St. John Paul II called “ecological conversion,” so is formal education. To deepen understanding of Church teaching on creation care, the Archdiocese is launching Laudato Si’ Reading Groups. This 6-week initiative is modeled after Live Lent Together: each week, participants read a chapter of Laudato Si’ and join a facilitated small group discussion. I encourage you to attend the Pilgrimage and join an Archdiocesan reading group by registering here: Laudato Si’ Reading Groups – Formstack
Father David Korth is pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Benedict the Moor, members of the Historic 24th Street Family of Parishes. He is also president of CUES School System and a member of the Archdiocese of Omaha Laudato Si’ Commission.
LEARN MORE AT ARCHOMAHA.ORG/LAUDATO-SI
Commentary
Archdiocese to offer opportunity to deepen understanding on care for creation
September 4, 2025
On September 13, Sacred Heart and St. Benedict the Moor invite Catholics to participate in a Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation. Archbishop Michael McGovern will begin at 9 a.m. by celebrating Mass outdoors at Miller Park. As pilgrims, we will then walk to the nearby North Omaha Station to pray and stand in solidarity with vulnerable sisters and brothers impacted by environmental pollution.
The event coincides with the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the Church’s encyclical on care for God’s creation. Pope Leo XIV praised Laudato Si’ in his 2025 Prayer for the Care of Creation and indicated it will be important to his papacy. The Archdiocese of Omaha will commemorate the encyclical anniversary with Reading Groups that begin around October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
Laudato Si’ reiterated core aspects of Church teaching consistently affirmed by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Creation is a good gift with inherent dignity and for which we are to care. Creation care is essentially related to love of God and neighbor: God is present in all creation and people suffer from ecological harm, especially the poor and vulnerable. It also requires action from both individuals and communities across society and within the Church. All this is why St. John Paul II declared that for Christians, care for God’s creation is “an essential part of their faith.”
Although experiences like the Pilgrimage are important to what St. John Paul II called “ecological conversion,” so is formal education. To deepen understanding of Church teaching on creation care, the Archdiocese is launching Laudato Si’ Reading Groups. This 6-week initiative is modeled after Live Lent Together: each week, participants read a chapter of Laudato Si’ and join a facilitated small group discussion. I encourage you to attend the Pilgrimage and join an Archdiocesan reading group by registering here: Laudato Si’ Reading Groups – Formstack
Father David Korth is pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Benedict the Moor, members of the Historic 24th Street Family of Parishes. He is also president of CUES School System and a member of the Archdiocese of Omaha Laudato Si’ Commission.
LEARN MORE AT ARCHOMAHA.ORG/LAUDATO-SI