Education & Advocacy

Presenting a Lenten Evening with Horticulturalist Annalise Michaelson

Thursday, March 7, 2024, 6:30 P.M., The Old Madeleine Church, 3123 NE 24th Avenue, Portland, Oregon

“Consider the Lilies: Native Plants for Wildlife and Devotion.”

Horticulturist Annalise Michaelson will introduce the best low-maintenance native plants for Portland gardeners, explain their connections to local wildlife and indigenous peoples, and share some thoughts on their spiritual significance for contemplation during Lent.

Annalise is a volunteer on staff with the Saint Kateri Conservation Center in New York. She learned about The Madeleine when the Conservation Center designated our campus as Oregon’s first Saint Kateri Habitat Site. Through this designation, Annalise has graciously offered her time and talents as we pledge to transform our multi-use grounds to be even more inviting to people, plants, and animals.

A vibrant and engaging young woman, Annalise is a native plant enthusiast and proud Catholic convert. She found a home in Catholicism where her love of nature and faith beautifully intersect. She is as passionate about ecologically friendly landscaping as she is about sharing this practice with the public. Annalise graduated from Wellesley College with a biology degree and assisted with the curation and caretaking of their campus conservatory. Afterwards, she completed the Native Plant Trust horticultural internship at Garden in the Woods outside of Boston, where she developed a deeper understanding of native gardening techniques, beneficial insect rearing, and science communication. Frustrated by the anti-human and pessimistic stance adopted by many modern environmental organizations, Annalise is thrilled to be volunteering with the Saint Kateri Conservation Center in helping foster as much love, hope, and deep connection to God through creation as possible. Annalise lives in Portland and works as an ornamental and vegetable horticulturist with McMenamin’s Edgefield.

Come learn how native plants beautifully intersect with our Lenten and Easter preparations. You will come away with unique ideas for transforming your personal gardens and hear about the exciting plans she has for our parish grounds. You won’t be disappointed.

If you are interested in joining an informal working group to help plan for the enhancement of the ecological value of our parish property, email Annalise, annalise.saintkateri@gmail.com

 

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The Madeleine Named Oregon’s First Saint Kateri Habitat Site

The Saint Kateri Conservation Center and Habitats Program has recognized The Madeleine’s Centennial Rose Garden and Courtyard as Saint Kateri Habitat Sites. The Saint Kateri Habitats Program inspires the restoration and management of homes, yards, gardens, parishes, schools, farms, parks, forests, rivers, and wetlands as healthy habitats for people and wildlife. Saint Kateri Habitats increase faith in God while preserving wildlife, saving energy, reducing climate change, and protecting land and water for future generations. To see a worldwide map of all Saint Kateri Habitat Sites: www.kateri.org Story Map.

Saint Kateri Habitats maintain a religious expression on the land and serve as a gentle reminder of God, of his presence everywhere and in everything, and on whom all creatures depend. This religious element may be a cross, shrine, statue of Mary or a saint, or other religious symbol.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is the patroness saint of Indigenous People, and we celebrate her feast day on July 14. Saint Kateri and the Indigenous People have extensive knowledge of natural habitats acquired over thousands of years of direct contact with nature. It is befitting that The Madeleine invoke the intercession of Saint Kateri and share her love of nature through the caretaking of our beautiful grounds.

For more information and to register your own garden as a Saint Kateri Habitat Site: https://www.kateri.org/saint-kateri-habitat-2/

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!

 

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Pope Francis ahead of COP28: Stop the ‘madness’ of the ‘fossil fuel era’

EARTHBEAT, MAY 25, 2023

BY CHRISTOPHER WHITE Vatican Correspondent cwhite@ncronline.org Rome — May 25, 2023

Ahead of the this year’s upcoming United Nations’ COP28 climate conference, Pope Francis on May 25 used his 2023 message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation to call for an end to “the fossil fuel era,” saying it is “madness to permit continued exploration and expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.” “Let us heed our call to stand with the victims of environmental and climate injustice, and to put an end to the senseless war against creation,” wrote the pope in a message released ahead of the annual celebration on Sept. 1. In 2015, the pope decided that Catholics would officially join with the Orthodox Church, which has designated a special calendar day for praying for creation since 1989. At the time, Francis said the goal was two-fold: to provide Catholics an opportunity to reflect on how they might be better stewards of the environment and also to deepen the ecumenical bonds between Christian churches. At a Vatican press conference launching the message, Jesuit Cardinal Michael Czerny said that this year’s theme, “Let Justice and Peace Flow,” brings “the biblical image of the river to underscore the 21st century, calling our attention to the real rivers that are so badly mistreated that they starkly symbolize the ecological crisis.”

Czerny, who is head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, told reporters that the pope’s message is a call for a change in hearts, lifestyles and, ultimately, public policies. Since the 2015 release of the pope’s ecological encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” Czerny said the Vatican is not simply advocating a technical solution to today’s environmental challenges, but also is advocating for the personal, moral and spiritual dimensions, hence the pope’s continued call for “ecological conversion.” “There’s no conversion that doesn’t begin by recognizing one’s sinfulness,” said the cardinal, who added that there should be a recognition of “where one is personally, community-wise, city or region, country, even continental, sinful — and that’s what needs to be converted.” Ecological sins, the pope writes in this year’s message, “harm the world of nature and our fellow men and women.” “With the help of God’s grace, let us adopt lifestyles marked by less waste and unnecessary consumption, especially where the processes of production are toxic and unsustainable,” he continues. Today, said the pope, the “the heartbeat of creation and the heartbeat of God … do not beat in harmony. They are not harmonized in justice and peace.” On an individual level, the pope used his message to call for change through “positive choices” that include an overall commitment to less consumption, using environmentally friendly and sustainable products and recycling. On a macro level, the pope went on to lament a culture of “consumerist greed,” as evidenced by “predatory industries [that] are depleting and polluting our freshwater sources through extreme practices such as fracking for oil and gas extraction, unchecked mega-mining projects, and intensive animal farming.” “Economic policies that promote scandalous wealth for a privileged few and degrading conditions for many others, spell the end of peace and justice,” wrote the pope. “It is clear that the richer nations have contracted an ‘ecological debt’ that must be paid.”

 

 

Why Catholics should divest from plastic in their closets

Polyester — a substance derived from oil — is the most common material used in fashion today and makes up more than half of clothing produced.

BY LIZZY CASE

Earthbeat, August 15, 2023

The movement to divest from fossil fuels is rapidly gaining momentum. From theological societies to universities, more citizens are recognizing the vital link between divesting from fossil fuels in the public sphere and a moral obligation to care for people and planet.

Beyond finances, personal divestment is oftentimes thought of as a reductionary act — removing plastic products (the vast majority of which are derived from fossil fuels) from kitchens and bathrooms or laundry and other cleaning supplies to be replaced with more sustainable options. Yet many people overlook a major source of plastic in their homes — the contents of their closets.

According to Vogue Business, “4 in 5 Americans believe they’re somewhat knowledgeable about ways to reduce plastic waste in their daily life. Yet, 7 in 10 do not recognise that crude oil is used to make textiles for clothing.” Part of our moral calling to create a better carbon future must include taking stock of and reducing the oil woven into our wardrobes.

Polyester — a substance derived from oil — is the most common material used in fashion today and makes up more than half of clothing produced. In 2016, 65 million tons of plastic was produced for textile fibers, representing almost 20% of total plastic production for that year.

As other sectors, such as transportation and energy, discuss winding down their dependence on oil, the fossil fuel industry is banking on plastics in clothing as a growing revenue stream over the next 20 years. Production of synthetic textiles currently accounts for about 1.35% of global oil consumption, which is higher than the annual oil consumption of Spain.

Not only are these synthetic materials derived from oil, but they require an immense amount of energy to produce. In addition to what’s contained in the garment itself, more fossil fuels are needed to power manufacturing facilities and transport products to customers. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, carbon dioxide emissions for synthetic clothing are six times higher than those for cotton clothing. An additional hidden cost comes from harm to garment workers, whose daily contact with these plastic fibers threatens their health and makes them more susceptible to disease.

Today, not only is the majority of clothing made from plastic, but we’re also buying more of it than ever before. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fashion industry generated $2.5 trillion in global annual revenues. The number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion pieces for the first time in 2014.

However, this increase in production doesn’t translate to purchases and long-lasting ownership. Industry overproduction means that roughly one garbage truck of clothes is landfilled every second. Much of this will gradually rot down over hundreds of years, releasing microfibers, toxic chemicals and methane into the biosphere. Vast quantities of second-hand clothing are exported from the Global North to the Global South where it overwhelms local ecosystems and economies, eventually accumulating in mountains of waste that can be seen from space.

On a smaller scale, microfibers from synthetic fabrics wreak havoc in our world. Microfibers are microscopic plastic fragments shed by synthetic fabrics during washing and wear and are the most prevalent type of microplastic found in the environment. A recent study from the North Pole found that more than 73% of microfiber pollution is made of polyester. These microfibers have been found both 2,000 meters below sea level and in human placenta. They absorb pollutants such as heavy metal, neurotoxins and harmful pathogens, which accumulate up the food chain and increase the chance of disease in environments like coral reefs.

Microfibers are also notoriously difficult to capture. An estimated 500,000 tonnes of microfibers enter wastewater every year from washing — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. Although there are some temporary solutions like bags that limit the release of microfibers during washing and retrofitting washing machines with collection filters, these cannot capture fibers shed during wear and use or address the deeper issues of overproduction and waste.

An estimated 500,000 tonnes of microfibers enter wastewater every year from washing — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

Increasingly, brands are offering recycled synthetic textiles as a sustainable solution. Unfortunately, these efforts fall short. Almost all recycled polyester is made from recycled PET bottles, which can mostly be reprocessed in a closed-loop bottle-to-bottle system. Creating polyester from these bottles diverts them from a closed-loop stream and turns them into fibers with no recycling solutions in place.

Most clothing is made with blended fibers, which are incompatible with current recycling technologies and haven’t been commercialized at scale. Estimates for the percentage of fiber-to-fiber recycling range from 1% to as little as 0.1%. Additionally, recycled polyester sheds microfibers at a higher rate than virgin polyester when it’s used, worn and washed, feeding into the larger environmental problem.

The call to divest from fossil fuels and all of their products is a sacred one found in the very foundations of our faith. From Genesis to Revelation, the scriptures remind us that humanity is a part of the natural world and we are meant to live in an interconnected, interdependent relationship with God and the whole of creation. We are not called to dominate the earth and use its resources at will, but rather to practice careful, boundaried, responsible stewardship. We are to revere and respect the earth and its balanced web of life as holy, much as we’re called to keep the Sabbath holy.

Indeed, Pope Francis’ papal encyclical “Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home,” names the climate as a “common good, belonging to all and meant for all,” and urges the progressive replacement of technologies and systems based on fossil fuels without delay as a faithful response to caring for our common home.

To be more mindful of fossil fuels in your closet, begin with changing your laundry habits. Wash full loads of laundry with cold water to reduce friction and stress on fabrics and cut down on the amount of microfibers released in the washing machine. Spot clean as often as possible and wash clothing less frequently. Use a drying rack or dry clothing in the machine on a low setting to keep fabric fibers more intact.

New clothes tend to shed more microfibers than clothing that’s been previously washed and worn, so a more responsible way to purchase is to shop second hand options. Choose garments made of natural fibers such as cotton and linen with certifications like the Global Organic Textile Standard to ensure the production process lines up with sustainable values.

Finally, support initiatives like local Fibershed affiliates to drive change and create new, regenerative clothing systems focused on the health and wellbeing of people and planet. 

As we continue to divest from fossil fuels in our institutions and homes, we mustn’t forget our closets.

 

 

How to bring Laudato Si’ into your wardrobe

Care for our common home starts in your closet

 

 

 

New Survey Shows More Than Half of Americans Think U. S. Bears Responsibility to Help Other Countries Cope with Climate Change

Source: Catholic Relief Services, October 4, 2022

In December 2015, Lake Poopó in Bolivia completely dried up, decimating the local fishing industry. Communities around the lake have struggled to find new livelihoods. Photo by Philip Laubner/CRS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONTACT:
Nikki Gamer
Catholic Relief Services
nikki.gamer@crs.org
(978) 884-0003

American Catholics five times more likely than non-Catholics to say climate change
is a shared responsibility that calls for collective action

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, Oct. 4, 2022 – According to a new survey of American attitudes about climate change, most Americans think the U.S. bears the responsibility to help other countries cope with climate change, and that immediate action must be taken to limit its impacts in the U.S. and abroad.

“These responses show that the majority of Americans feel the urgency of the global climate crisis, and the need to act on it,” said Bill O’Keefe, Catholic Relief Services (CRS)’ executive vice president of Mission, Mobilization and Advocacy. “This is good news. As one of the most influential countries in the world, U.S. leadership on climate change is critical, especially given the grave threat those CRS serves face.”

The survey, released by CRS as part of its newly launched climate change campaign, shows that three out of every four Americans agree that action must be taken immediately to limit the impacts of climate change within the U.S. At the same time, 69% express the same sentiment about taking action to lessen its impacts overseas. Meanwhile, more than half of Americans – 55% – feel the U.S. has a responsibility to help other countries cope with the effects of a warming planet. When it comes to the views of American Catholics, CRS’ survey found that they are five times more likely than their non-Catholic counterparts to express that climate change is a shared responsibility that requires a collective response.

CRS’ findings come on the heels of several recent international climate-drive emergencies, such as the unprecedented flooding in Pakistan that left a third of the country under water, killing more than 1,600 people and displacing over 33 million. The results also come ahead of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference – commonly referred to as COP27 – the annual international climate negotiations, to be convened in November.

“We hope this information helps inform U.S. lawmakers about the willingness of Americans, especially American Catholics, to act on behalf of the poor and vulnerable overseas,” O’Keefe said. “In the words of the Holy Father, ‘Our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God.’”

CRS worked with Big Village, a New York-based research company, to produce the online survey, which was conducted in August among a demographically representative U.S. sample of 2,000 adults 18 years of age or older.

 

Key Findings:

• 75% of Americans agree that action must be taken immediately to limit the impacts of climate change within the U.S. In comparison, 69% express the same sentiment when taking action in other countries.
• 55% of Americans feel the U.S. has a responsibility to help other countries suffering from the effects of climate change.
• Most Americans – 85% – say that at least one event would motivate them to take action to combat the effects of climate change in other countries. Drought-induced famines and catastrophic, widespread flooding are top of the list of motivating events.
• When asked what words or phrases come to mind when they think of climate change, American Catholics were five times more likely to express that climate change is a shared responsibility that requires a collective response than their non-Catholic counterparts.
• Most Americans – 85% – have taken one or more personal steps to reduce their negative impacts on the environment, such as recycling. However, few are taking collective actions to address climate change, like supporting an organization that fights climate change (19%) or participating in a group action to call attention to the impact of climate change, such as a march, protest or boycott (11%).
• Hispanics are 14 times more likely than non-Hispanics to volunteer that humanity’s response to climate change is insufficient when asked what comes to mind when they think of climate change.

The World Bank estimates that by 2030, climate change will push more than 100 million people into extreme poverty. However, at little more than $20 billion a year, international finance for climate change adaptation remains far below the annual $70 billion that developing countries are estimated to need.

“When climate change meets poverty, as it is in the Horn of Africa, it is a perfect storm of challenges, with millions of people at risk of going without food and water,” said Yohannes Subagadis, a CRS agricultural expert from East Africa. “As the world experiences increases in prolonged droughts, catastrophic storms, record temperatures and rising sea levels, countries must work together to protect all the people on the planet.”

CRS works with communities in dozens of countries to adapt to climate change. Climate change adaptation programs, like those funded by the U.S. foreign assistance budget, can include providing farmers with drought-tolerant seeds and helping communities living in disaster-prone areas create evacuation plans in case of powerful storm surges. CRS’ new climate change campaign aims to mobilize Catholics in the U.S., and others of goodwill, to engage in advocacy and fundraising activities in support of such programming.

“The goal of our campaign is to mobilize more people in the United States to become part of the solution overseas,” O’Keefe said. “Our time to act is running out. But there is still time.”

TO LEARN MORE:

• To read the survey in its entirety, click here.
• To read more about CRS’ climate change campaign, visit the campaign website.

CRS IN THE NEWS

• Catholic Relief Services campaign aims to engage US Catholics on climate change – National Catholic Reporter

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

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World Central Kitchen Establishes a Climate Disaster Fund

World Central Kitchen (WCK) has witnessed first-hand the crisis of climate-triggered hunger in our own hemisphere, a crisis that is driving hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees across the continent. The more that people have fresh food where they are, the less they will need to look for it elsewhere. That means supporting communities to feed themselves and helping farmers to adapt to a rapidly changing climate.

WCK, founded by Chef Jose Andres, is committing $1 billion over the next 10 years to help families and communities hurt by the climate crisis.  “This is a fight so hungry people can eat.” WCK is seeding the Fund with $50 million today for immediate disaster relief and to invest in long-term solutions that help build resilience for communities on the frontlines. Learn more about the Fund and its three areas of focus or to make a donation here.

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The Realm Refillery

There is a new kind of grocery store in our neighborhood, the Realm Refillery. Located at 2310 NE Broadway, in Portland, Oregon, 503-904-1407, it is currently open Monday – Saturdays, 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M., and Sundays 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. This “Package Free” Grocery is a specialty grocery store focused on making a beneficial impact in our community and the on planet through the creation of a circular economic system. Their goal is to create an accessible store which provides a more sustainable way of shopping through the option to buy as much or as little of all products as needed. This mode of shopping produces less food waste and eliminates unnecessary packaging.

A circular economy is a sustainable model of production and consumption. It uses, reuses, repairs, refurbishes, shares, and finally, recycles. This ensures the maximum value is extracted from all items with minimal impact and minimal waste. A circular economy is the opposite of our current linear economy. Recycling alone can’t combat the massive amounts of packaging, food, and other products which are created just to be discarded a short time later. The Realm Refillery believes that providing our community the option to shop with more intention regarding sourcing, packaging, and overall global impact will help shift us towards a more circular future.

The Realm Refillery is on a mission to make a difference in the lives of folks in our community by supporting local BIPOC farmers, by presenting shoppers with the most ethical food options, and by intentionally shifting our daily consumption habits. The store works off of a $2 container deposit model (reusable), but also offers compostable packaging options, made by recycled materials, for most of the products in the store.

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Interfaith Power and Light Faithful Voter Reflection Guide

Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) has created the Faithful Voter Reflection Guide as an aid in discerning candidates that represent our Christian beliefs and values around protecting God’s Creation.

As people of faith and conscience, IPL believes elections are a referendum on the values that will shape our future. How can we renew our fragile democracy? How do we honor the human dignity of every person? Will we protect God’s Creation, our Sacred Earth, and our children’s future? What policies will prioritize the common good and confront future crises that remind us of our interdependence?

The Faithful Voter Reflection Guide is intended to spur discussion and discernment. Whether you use it at a kitchen table, in a house of worship, at a community forum, or at an event with political candidates, we hope it helps you navigate the urgent moral questions raised by this election. The issues contained are not exhaustive, however, provide a framework for evaluating issues and candidates in a way that prioritizes solutions that promote dignity and the common good. Each section includes suggested questions to guide conversations and spark ideas for questions to ask political candidates.   FaithfulVoterReflectionGuide

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Suggested Reading

Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, by Paul Hawken. This book offers a visionary new approach to climate change, one that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, equity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy, and transformation that can end the climate crisis in one generation. See the accompanying website of the nonprofit, Regeneration Organization, for both education and advocacy suggestions.  https://regeneration.org/home

The nonprofit, Regeneration Organization, is launching a series of initiatives to accompany the book, including a streaming video series, curriculum, podcasts, teaching videos, and climate action software. This is the place to go if you have ever wondered “How can I actively respond to the climate crisis?” or “Where do I start?” The book and website identify the challenges, and even more importantly, the solutions.

 

 

 

In 2019, The Madeleine’s Pastoral Council established a three-year plan for the parish focusing on these key initiatives: (1) All Are Welcome, (2) Care for Creation, and (3) Evangelization. Since that time, Care for Creation has taken a prominent place in parish planning activities involving education, prayer, community outreach, and action.

 

 

The Madeleine Parish has joined the Global Catholic Climate Movement in establishing Oregon’s only Laudato Si’ Circle, and a number of its leaders have completed training to become “animators” of environmental change.

 

 

The Madeleine Parish is host to the annual month-long celebration of the Season of Creation. The celebration consists of special liturgies, prayers, and events, beginning with Creation Day/World Day of Prayer for Creation (September 1) and culminating on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with the blessing of animals (October 4). 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Madeleine Parish planned a Care for Creation Summit with prominent local guest speakers discussing actions for caring for our common home in the context of Catholic social teachings. When it is safe to gather in person for this event, it will be rescheduled and open to the local community.

 

 

 

Care for Creation Letter to Archbishop Sample

We are excited to highlight some of the work our Care for Creation ministry has been doing  over the past years. With the guidance of Bill Hunter and the Laudato Si’ Circle, a letter was sent to Archbishop Sample outlining all the ways The Madeleine Parish and beyond has been engaged to care for our “Common Home.”

Copies of this important letter are available. You can download it here

We welcome all to join this most important ministry to answer “Pope Francis’ urgent call to: Pray for and with creation, Live more simply, Advocate to protect our common home.”

 

Adopt One Block

Help beautify our city … one block at a time! The Madeleine Parish and School are participating in Adopt One Block, a local non-profit encouraging residents to adopt and care for our environment one block at a time. Participants choose a location and commit to weekly walking the public portion of the block, picking up litter and debris, and properly recycling or disposing of the trash. Anyone, any age, can participate (when and how you do this is your choice). Here’s how to become a Block Ambassador:

• Select a block anywhere in the local area you would like to adopt (no longer restricted to Portland city limits).
• Submit the block to the organizer at adoptoneblock.org
• Request collection supplies you may need — trash grabber, gloves, trash bag/bucket.
• Begin weekly walks of your adopted block (or blocks).
• Share your stories and photos with us (including any unusual finds) at bulletin@themadeleine.edu with subject line “Adopt One Block.”
• Spread the word with friends and family about how they can become Block Ambassadors too.