Catholics worldwide are being called to become seeds of peace and hope in this the 10th annual Season of Creation, which launched Sept. 1 with the 10th annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. 

Taken from the Scripture passage of John 12:24 in which Jesus compares Himself to the grain of wheat that must die in order to bear fruit, this year’s theme of "Seeds of Peace and Hope" was chosen by Pope Francis in April, just days before his death. 

In the first celebration of the Season of Creation since his passing, Catholics are asked to honour the late pontiff’s legacy through his encyclical Laudato Si’ and its call for collective action and hope in addressing ecological crises. 

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While the Season of Creation was started in 1989 by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the ecumenical initiative was largely reignited by the efforts of Pope Francis in 2015 through Laudato Si’. 

One parish taking note of this season’s reminder to better understand and act for environmental justice is St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish in Toronto where, on Sept. 20, parishioners will gather for a reflection and celebration of the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ before joining in Mass for the Care of Creation and extended fellowship. 

Founded by St. Paul of the Cross in the 1700s, the Passionists focus on Christ’s passion and suffering, which continues in many forms, one being the Earth itself. 

“ Fr. Thomas Berry was a Passionist who did a great deal of study on cultures and the evolution of the Earth and the universe. His insights were that the Earth itself is also undergoing that crucifixion at the hands of the human race, and we need to pay close attention to that and feel that suffering in order to find the spiritual energy to motivate ourselves to change our behaviours,” said Michael Nasello, the director of the Passionist Solidarity Network. 

“One of the key insights from Laudato Si’ is the whole notion of integral ecology, where Pope Francis articulates the connection between our care for the Earth and our care for the poor and that they're aligned — we can't do one without the other.” 

At the Sept. 20 gathering, Nasello will spend two hours with attendees in a makeshift parish retreat,  engaging in prayer together, reflecting on the messages, background and themes found in the 2015 encyclical, as well as creating a synodal conversation to encourage parishioners to explore how they can commit personally and as a parish community to ecological justice. 

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Before Holy Mass for the Care of Creation, which will feature this year’s newest texts for the occasion approved by Pope Leo XIV in July, Nasello will also share the Laudato Si' Action Platform, a Vatican-launched guide and resource toward ecological sustainability.

Pope Leo XIV spoke to the importance of concrete deeds in his message regarding the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. 

“Environmental justice — implicitly proclaimed by the prophets — can no longer be regarded as an abstract concept or a distant goal. It is an urgent need that involves much more than simply protecting the environment, for it is a matter of justice — social, economic and human,” the Holy Father wrote. “In a world where the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation and pollution, care for creation becomes an expression of our faith and humanity."

Pope Leo’s line about environmental justice being implicitly proclaimed by the prophets is a message Nasello hopes to remind attendees of during the celebrations this month. 

“ This idea of care for creation is embedded in Catholic social teaching; it isn't some new thing that came from Pope Francis, though he has articulated it in a very unique way. This comes from the depths of our faith — the Gospel's intensely social and calls us to that renewal that we're engaged in now during these times,” he said. 

With the Passionists having grown to recognize the Passion of Jesus as witnessed in the passion of the Earth, the order has also developed a program called Passion of the Earth, Wisdom of the Cross, a study guide for each chapter of Laudato Si’.

Reflection and synodal conversations are set to begin at 10 a.m., followed by Mass around noon and a light, communal lunch afterwards. 

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Whether attending St. Gabriel’s event, observing at home or at a local parish, this ongoing Season of Creation is once again a reminder and invitation to engage in a time of renewal, peace, and solidarity with each other and the Earth itself. 

“The Encyclical Laudato Si’ has now guided the Catholic Church and many people of goodwill for 10 years. May it continue to inspire us, and may integral ecology be increasingly accepted as the right path to follow. In this way, seeds of hope will multiply, to be 'tilled and kept' by the grace of our great and unfailing Hope, who is the risen Christ,” Pope Leo penned as the end to his letter to the faithful.