Day of Reflection highlights the importance of caring for the Earth and its people

On Saturday, Archbishop George J. Lucas hosted a diverse group of leaders from government, business, education, non-profit, agriculture and religious organizations from across northeast Nebraska for a Day of Reflection on how to care for our common home.

The group discussed the environmental challenges these leaders face in their communities and the world at large. They also explored ways to collaborate to address those challenges.

The meeting was inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, Care for Our Common Home. The encyclical focuses on care for the natural environment and all people, as well as broader questions of the relationship between God, humans and the Earth.

The Archdiocese of Omaha is one of more than 20 dioceses throughout the United States developing an action plan on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a free initiative of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. This shared space creates a bold and active response to the ecological crisis. It equips individuals, parishes, educational institutions, healthcare organizations and others to establish a flexible action plan to care for the environment and our world.

“In recent years Pope Francis has built on decades of Church teaching and expressed concern for our common home in his documents Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum,” Archbishop Lucas said. “The Holy Father has appealed for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet, which addresses the urgent environmental threats our world is facing.”

In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis invites individuals and organizations to discover what they can do to build a better future together. The local leaders who met on Saturday reflected on how their values connect with the goals of Laudato Si’ and made plans for concrete action in the next year.

At the heart of those plans is a commitment to “hearing the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor,” said Andy Dejka, a member of the archdiocese’s Parish Support Team who helped to organize Saturday’s meeting.

“As an archdiocese, we are committed to responding to the cry of the Earth and the poor,” Dejka said. “It aligns with our vision and priorities, especially our commitment to living mercy.”

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