As we prepare for the Raising Hope Conference, and Season of Creation 2025 is reaching millions of Christians worldwide, uniting the global family in prayer, action, and reflection. This week, the spotlight shines on the Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation—a spiritual and ecological journey inspired by the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical calling us to care for our common home.
In New York, communities embraced this call through a moving Laudato Si’ Mass celebrated by Brother Benedict Ayodi with the LS Circle following their pilgrimage. Participants walked, prayed, and collected trash along the route, reflecting on the beauty of creation and the consequences of its misuse. As Fr. Dave Korth noted, “We first recognize the beauty of God’s creation, then see what can happen when we misuse it.”
In Omaha, Archbishop Michael McGovern reminded pilgrims of their responsibility to preserve creation as a gift for future generations, encouraging practical steps like recycling and mindful energy use to make a tangible difference every day.
Across the globe in Nairobi, Kenya, the Laudato Si’ Movement joined JPIC Franciscans Africa and The Catholic University of Eastern Africa to host the Annual Interfaith Youth Forum on Peace and Integral Ecology. Over 1,700 participants, including youth leaders, civil society representatives, and government officials, gathered under the theme Peace with Creation. Discussions focused on renewable energy, poverty eradication, and climate justice, culminating in a climate procession that connected local voices with the global movement ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
Meanwhile, in Italy, different members of our Movement alongside the Sacred Convent of Assisi, Franciscan families, dioceses, and key Catholic organizations—including AGESCI, Azione Cattolica Italiana, ACLI, MASCI, and Coldiretti—launched the “Call to Responsibility for Ecological Transition”. The initiative urges communities and individuals to move from words to action, embrace ecological spirituality, and take concrete steps to care for our common home. It emphasizes dialogue, collective responsibility, and daily actions that connect the environment, society, economy, and spirituality. Guided by St. Francis’ example, the call inspires everyone to become facilitators of change, transforming commitment into tangible, real-world efforts for a sustainable future.
As the Season of Creation continues, these pilgrimages remind us that caring for creation is both a spiritual journey and a concrete call to action. Let us walk together in hope, planting seeds of peace, justice, and ecological renewal.