To unite Laudato Si’ Movement‘s global community and share news and activities that are happening within our movement, the second Laudato Si’ Global Encounter was held online on Saturday, June 17th, led by the Asia Pacific region.
The Global Encounter toured various regions and various chapters and circles of the global movement in order to highlight the members’ activities and the scope of their outreach. Kurt Zion Pala, SSC, from Yangon, Myanmar, shared a prayer to begin the meeting in unity with the Lord through nature.
WATCH: If you missed it, you can watch the full Global Encounter here (activate automatic subtitles in your language).
Cyprianus Lilik of the World Membership Council, from Indonesia, was in charge of presenting the latest news from Asia Pacific. This was followed by contributions from different parts of the world and sectors of our global movement:
- Lina Sedano Rodríguez, Coordinator of LSM Colombia, with Father Fredy Casallas, pastor of the Cathedral of Garagoa, Colombia;
- Veronica Coraddu, Laudato Si’ Animator and representative of the Laudato Si’ Circle of Ladispoli, Italy;
- Adam Fitzpatrick and Ann Mongoven, Minnesota Chapter, USA;
- Rose Kerubo, together with several representatives of the Kenya chapter;
- Thalassia Giaccone, on behalf of the Focolare Movement, from Italy.
Tomás Insua, Laudato Si’ Movement’s Executive Director, then explained the purpose of these encounters as we head towards 2025, the tenth anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’, the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures, and the year in which we will hold a face-to-face gathering in Assisi as a movement.
The path to this encounter will have 5 steps: firstly, it will be the time to find out who the active members of LSM are. Each member will receive a survey that they must respond to in order to confirm their participation and commitment to the movement. Secondly and thirdly, in 2024, local and national meetings will be organized. During the first half of 2025, there will be a regional pre-assembly, leading to the fifth step, the in-person encounter in Assisi.
Later on, the achievements and accomplishments of the latest Laudato Si’ Week were celebrated, and Marianne Comfort, from Washington DC, also participated to call for solidarity, encouraging people to contribute financially with a minimum collaboration to sustain LSM programs.
The gathering concluded with announcements and Laudato Si’ Week highlights, and a prayer led by Laudato Si’ Animator and member of the World Council of Members, Hong Phuc Dinh, from Vietnam.
Global Encounters are meetings organized by the Laudato Si’ Movement’s Global Membership Council to discuss how we are building the future of the planet and the challenges that lie ahead.