2025 Pro-Life Essay Contest winning essay

/in

Jeremiah was told that before God formed him in his mother’s body, God chose him, that before he was born, God set him apart to serve God. (Jer 1:5) I believe I was set apart also.

Have you ever considered the possibility of never having the chance to live the life you were blessed with? I’ve reflected on this possibility multiple times. Knowing there was a chance of not being alive in this world is daunting.

People take life for granted daily. Our society puts a major emphasis on money, power and status. From my perspective, I’m amazed by the gifts that God has provided for us. The sun’s radiant colors, the earth’s beautiful landscape, or the diversity of individuals fortunate enough to be born and experience these gifts.

Although I was always wanted and wished for, my parents would never receive the joy of having a child to call their own. My mom and dad tried everything, but it was becoming unhealthy for my mom. It was also pulling them further away from God. They would ask God every day why they couldn’t have a son or daughter of their own? That’s all they wanted.

God knew their purpose in life; he wanted them to adopt a child, and help that child see and be who he made them to be. From there, they decided to turn their focus to adopting someone who needed a miracle as much as they needed one, too. My parents fought hard to have me, but they always say I was worth it. Knowing what they went through, makes me feel important. I wasn’t something ordinary that just happened. I was something they worked hard for.

I was adopted by the most loving and amazing family. They didn’t care that I wasn’t their biological child. They only cared that I was “their” child who they loved unconditionally.

From a young age, I often wondered why I didn’t look like my parents. I am interracial and both of my parents are white. To me, that is completely normal. People would ask questions as to why I have dark skin and curly hair. They would judge my mom on why she has a darker child and give her dirty looks.

Instead of letting that discourage them, they learned how to take care of my skin and my hair. They ignored the way people would stare. Instead, my mom would look at other girls and see that they had braids and beads in their hair. Their curly hair was so perfect and pretty. She felt like she wasn’t doing enough. She bought beads and asked her friends about products to put in my hair. I would tell her, “Mom, I don’t want those beads in my hair.”

When I was young, all I wanted was to look like my parents. I hated my curly hair and would beg them every day to straighten it. Every time my parents would tell me how beautiful I was and how they wanted to look like me someday. As I got older, strangers would tell me how I look like my parents. I would say, “But mom, I don’t look like you.” She would tell me to just smile, and then we would move on with our day. As our day went on, I still couldn’t comprehend how I could look like them?

People still say that I look like my parents. I just smile and say thank you. I may not resemble them on the outside, but everyone is made in God’s image, and I look just like them on the inside.

I am now 13 years old, becoming a strong and confident young adult. With their love and guidance, I’ve learned to love myself for who I am. My mom and dad have taught me that my purpose is to show people that we are all extraordinarily important in our own way.

The Catechism states, “The covenant between God and mankind is interwoven with reminders of God’s gifts of human life.” (CCC 2260) What I have gone through is a blessing that I will not take for granted, no matter what we look like on the outside, because I am a witness to God’s love. My hope is that I can be a reminder, too, by sharing my story, spreading the Gospel and not judging people on what they look like.

Kyndall May Ruebusch is an eighth-grade student at St. Anthony School, Taylor Mill, Ky. This is her first-place essay in this year’s Diocesan Pro-Life Essay Contest.

 

2025 Second Place Essay

/in

Piper Hagley, Holy Cross Elementary School

As I stood next to my grandma’s bed, I could feel her fading away. My mom was whispering into my grandma’s ear, gently stroking her hair. My aunt stood at the foot of my grandma’s bed, adjusting her covers to make sure that she was warm. As I looked at my grandpa, I could see that his eyes were filled with tears. He held onto my grandma’s hand so tightly that it was like he was trying to keep her here on earth with the strength of his grasp. As my grandma took her last breath, my grandpa fell to his knees. My heart sank and I thought to myself, “who is going to take care of grandpa now that grandma is gone?”.

Getting old is a natural process. It’s during old age that people need the most care and love. Society tends to focus on protecting the lives of the unborn, but who is preserving the lives of our elderly? The Catechism says, “Family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor.” (CCC 2208). Taking care of our elderly is a responsibility that we should all take on. The elderly deserve to lead fulfilling and happy lives just as much as we do. It is our moral duty to take care of them when they cannot care for themselves.

One of the best ways to care for the elderly is to simply spend time with them. Imagine sitting alone every day, doing the same things over and over, and not having anybody to talk to. That doesn’t sound very enjoyable to me. A person can make a huge difference in someone’s day by calling them, bringing them a sweet treat, or by sitting with them and listening to their stories. When I visit my grandpa, I like to watch golf and old Westerns with him. He’ll ask me how school is going, and he’ll tell me what it was like when he was growing up. Our older generation has lived through a lot, and they have a lot to teach us. We just need to take the time to listen.

Another great way to spend time with the elderly is to visit nursing homes. Nursing homes can get very lonely, and some of the residents don’t have any visitors. The residents often feel neglected and unhappy. Young people can bring so much joy to the residents by stopping by and saying hi, by playing a game with them, or by giving them a hug. You’d be surprised how much joy a hug can bring. People can also send cards. Everyone likes to get mail because it makes us feel special. When I visited my local nursing home, I sang Christmas carols and made Christmas cards with them. It was very special to see the smiles on their faces just from a simple act of kindness.

As we grow older, it gets more difficult to do daily tasks. Older people often feel overwhelmed by the tasks that they can no longer do. We can help by doing chores for them, helping with yard work, or by running errands for them. In doing this, we show them that we care about them. I know my grandpa always has a long list of things for us to do every time my family visits, and he is always very thankful for the help.

Older people also struggle with financial stability. They often don’t have the money to buy the things that they need, like food, clothes, and medicine. As a society, it is up to us to provide the elderly with items that they cannot afford. Our parents and grandparents spent years providing for us, now it’s our turn to provide for them. Whether it’s with our own money, or with the help of an outside organization, it’s our responsibility to make sure the elderly have the basic necessities of life.

Unfortunately, in today’s society, the youth seem to have forgotten their moral responsibility for their elders. Psalm 71:9 states, “Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.” This passage calls on us to care for our elders and to give them the love and care that they deserve. God does not abandon us in our time of need, so we shouldn’t abandon the elderly in their time of need.

 

 

 

2025 Third Place Essay

/in

Ryan Bennett, Villa Madonna Academy

Walking down the long hallway leading to the turf field ahead, I saw children; some young, old, unable to speak, and in wheelchairs. Sitting with their parents-water in one hand, soccer ball in another- the children waited eagerly to play soccer. I don’t know how this will go…What if they don’t have fun with me? I wondered. Volunteering at All Ability Sports started off as a way to get service hours, but in the end, taught me a valuable lesson I will never forget. I am a witness to God’s love by learning to see the gifts of the Holy Spirit in all people, regardless of their physical or mental disabilities.

The organization All Ability Sports brings children with special needs from across the area and gives them the chance to play soccer. Playing soccer myself, I thought I could easily get my service hours done. To my surprise, these interactions deepened my understanding of God’s presence in every person. My partner (we’ll call her Rose) walked into the building excited to play soccer but had trouble focusing on the drills. Every time Rose got the ball; she would take off running in all directions and wouldn’t stop! While I loved her passion throughout the sport, I found it confusing running her through drills. Not only that it proved hard to keep her focused, but I also wondered how Rose kept so much joy inside her. Rose’s life presented struggles and burdens, but instead of letting that hold her down, Rose allowed herself to embrace what she loved to play: soccer. The courage Rose showed reminds me of Scripture, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Watching Rose play soccer gave me a clear example of what this Bible verse meant. When Rose could have let fear allow her to quit, Rose showed fortitude. From Rose, I realized that even though struggles may keep her down, she never seemed sad or negative about them-only positivity. The huge amount of fortitude a younger child could show in the face of adversity helped me learn that every problem you encounter should be tackled head on and with positivity and confidence, because the Lord guides you throughout the whole time.

Many of the parents at All Ability Sports display counsel and sacrificial love. Despite the parents facing so many obstacles raising their children, they provide unwavering support for their children. Everyday, parents care for their children, dedicate time, and worry endlessly about how their child’s life will end up. Referring to the Catechism of the Catholic Church “To love is to will the good of another.” The parents could have abandoned or aborted their child when receiving news that their child will have a disability. Instead, parents saw the beauty of God’s creation and meaningful life their child has. The parents decided that to love their child, they must give them the best they can offer. To do this, the parents displayed counsel and used their lives to show their children agape love. Doing this helped their children see God’s love in person.

At All Ability Sports, a dad –“William”- provided a clear example of what agape love should look like. When I trained his son, William asked if he could help teach his son how to shoot a soccer ball. After saying yes, I watched the dad put so much effort into helping him. William never checked his phone, took a break, or gave up. The children’s laughter and celebrations showed that the bond between father and son proved strong.

From volunteering at All Ability Sports, I’ve learned that everyone has the ability to show the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their own unique ways. Rose displayed fortitude by showing courage when playing soccer instead of cowering away. The parents of those disabled children showed counsel by not giving up their children when they saw their burdens. Instead, they reminded themselves that their children, children of God, should be prioritized and respected above all. While society focuses on the large aspects of maintaining the dignity of human life, we must also realize that the dignity of human life is prioritizing and respecting life through everyday actions.

 

 

Naturalization event held at Newport Central Catholic High School confirms 57 legal immigrants as U.S. citizens

/in

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Newport Central Catholic High School’s gymnasium was transformed into a court room, Sept. 19, as 57 legal immigrants, representing 24 nationalities, became United States citizens. The naturalization event was presided over by The Honorable David Bunning, chief judge of the Eastern District of Kentucky for the United States District Court, who is a 1984 graduate of NCC.

The process of becoming a United States citizen is not an easy one, with tests and interviews between applicants and officers, oftentimes the process is lengthy, last years.

Judge Bunning said of the applicants presented to him, “Each has met the requirements of law concerning the ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language. And, has further satisfied the United States Citizenship and Immigration services that he or she has a satisfactory knowledge of the history and the form of government of the United States.”

The applicants, spanning the globe, the furthest of whom coming from Cambodia, gathered in NCC’s gymnasium in front of friends, family and students to fulfill the quintessential “American dream.”

To the applicants, Judge Bunning shared the stories of the framers, many of whom faced consequences for their signing of the Declaration of Independence nearly 250 years ago.

“I chose to share their stories because, like them, each of you has denounced their homeland in the hopes of a better life and future for you and your families … You are not riled by a king or dictator, but by a democratic voting process, with three branches of government that serve as checks and balances on the other. And no less important, a guaranteed Bill of Rights, you are protected by the rule of law,” Judge Bunning said.

As each of the newly declared U.S. citizen were handed a small American flag, the symbol of freedom to many, the students of NCC clapped as loudly as the family and friends gathered.

Ken Collopy, principal of NCC, said, “We got a lot of great feedback from students and staff, just about how unique of an event it was … Overall a very, very positive event as far as the educational experience, learning the process of how legal immigrants become U.S. citizens.”

The decision to invite the students into the courtroom to witness the naturalization proceedings was an easy one, said Mr. Collopy.

“We are very much about the holistic education of students, it’s not just learning within your traditional classroom,” he said. “We really believe that education doesn’t have to happen in your traditional desk, it’s an experience. I feel strongly that students were able to get some of that at the event.”

As the new citizens waved their flags in the air, the words of Judge Bunning stayed ever present, “There is not more a profound sentence than this, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,’” he said. “These are far more than mere poetic words, but the underlying ideas that infuse every sentence of the Declaration that sustained this nation for almost 250 years.”

Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

/in

Father Phillip DeVous

Guest

“Woe to those the complacent in Zion!” For us to grasp just how thoroughly the Prophet Amos is calling us to task with his proclamation, it is imperative to understand the essence of the prophetic “woe.”

A woe is an anguished cry or lament by those mourning the dead, the future prospect of death, or cataclysm. Prophets pronounce woes as warnings about God’s judgment on sinful cities or nations. They also serve as urgent appeals for repentance from sin.

One of the primary ways we become complacent in our pursuit of holiness is to presume we are good enough; to presume that mercy will just “work” no matter my disposition. Zion, the biblical Jerusalem, finds its fullest expression and fulfillment in the Church, the Body of Christ. In the Church there dwells the fullness of grace of salvation.

Despite the extraordinary reality of Christ dwelling among us, it is easy to fall prey to a kind of presumption that makes us spiritually complacent and neglectful, causing us to slouch towards the prophetic “woe” being pronounced upon us.

How does such spiritual complacency about something as important as our eternal destiny in the Trinitarian God come about? Very often, distracted by the relentless tempo of the unexamined life, we treat the Church like a mere system for good works and emotional uplift, not the place of encounter and communion with the Holy of Holies, the Trinitarian God. When the Church is understood in this manner, the Holy Sacraments get reduced to something like mere signs of aspiration and affirmation, personal goodness, and/or community togetherness, not the means of our repentance, conversion, and sanctification.

When the Church, the Gospel message, and the Holy Sacraments are rendered as a ceremonial system of “moral therapeutic deism,” a phrase coined by the sociologists Christian Smith and Melissa Sundquist Denton, we have entered the realm of complacent idolatry. There are five basic tenets (really senses) of moral therapeutic deism (MTD); senses that hollow out an authentic spiritual life in Christ.

  1. A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.
  2. God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
  3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
  4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
  5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

It would be entirely correct to describe the tenets of MTD as “my way, my truth, and my life” vs. Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. It is obvious the tenets of the worldly ideology of MTD, with a sprinkling of the spiritual, are rather generic, resisting any definition or direction. Everyone is left to pick whatever meaning one wishes — the notions they find most affirming.

The prophet Amos was trying to stir people from a complacency, which assumed a false sense of spiritual security among the people, despite the evildoing that thrived in their midst, within them and among them. It was the prophet’s task then, and the Church’s now, to exhort us to the higher and harder path, as St. Paul teaches us, to “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold to eternal life, to which you were called…”

To lay hold of the eternal life, to which we are called, a question confronts us: Do we experience urgency in the need to repent from sin?

In praying the Michaelmas Novena in my parishes, we have been reminded that it is primarily through unexamined, unrepentant and unconfessed sin that the Satanic rebellion takes root in us, hardening our hearts to the truth, love and presence of Jesus Christ. This lulls us into complacency and makes us vulnerable to spiritual evils.

The greatest of all spiritual evils, of course, is a hardness of heart, which leads us down the path towards the spiritual cataclysm of rejecting Jesus Christ. The way to ensure we are not spiritually complacent is to make a searching examination of conscience and a devout, thorough Confession. It is through our Holy Communion with Jesus, ever more perfected by the regular reception of his Divine Mercy that “we keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Father Phillip W. DeVous is the pastor of St. Charles Parish, Flemingsburg and St. Rose of Lima Parish, Mayslick, Ky.

Bishop Iffert commissions and blesses five youth ministry teams

/in

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The Diocese of Covington Office of Youth Ministry hosted a commissioning of the new youth ministry teams which will be active in the Diocese. All blessed by Bishop John Iffert, there are four total teams: the Youth Commission Evangelization Team (YCET), the CONNECT Team for middle school ministry, the Service and Mission Team, the Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) Team and the Event Teams. Each of these five teams has a dedicated ministry to the youth of the Diocese to help build a faith-filled community.

“Not only do you do one ministry,” said Angie Poat, diocesan youth minister, “you are apostles, or ambassadors, to all of our youth ministries.”

YCET is the largest of the four teams with 20 members and two leaders. The 20 members are high schoolers who have been trained as missionary disciples, serving in parishes, schools and communities. Each present member of the YCET team received a t-shirt bearing the new YCET logo. The t-shirts were blessed by Bishop Iffert and subsequently presented to the team members.

The new logo is a tracing of the large rose window in the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington. Mrs. Poat explained the meaning behind the new YCET logo.

“You represent the Church, you represent the Bishop, and you are the window of God’s mercy, compassion and grace. You are the window through which some people will see God,” Mrs. Poat said.

The middle school ministry team, CONNECT, provides middle school youth with retreat days, also known as CONNECT Retreats. The goal of which is to, “connect junior high, sixth, seventh and eighth graders, give them fun, community-building encounters with each other, with the Church, to come alive and draw them into relationship with each other,” said Mrs. Poat.

The Service and Mission Team focuses on providing opportunities for youth to live the mission of the Church through the corporal works of mercy. Last year, the team hosted a Holy Week, Mission of Mercy retreat for students where they took part in door-to-door evangelization, street evangelization and grew their relationship with Christ.

New to the Diocese of Covington is the Teens Encounter Christ Team. TEC is an international organization which focuses on helping late teens and young adults foster an authentic encounter with Jesus and his paschal mystery.

“It is a three-day, beautiful retreat where the community rallies around young people and walks, and mentors with them and provides a transformative experience,” said Mrs. Poat.

The Event Team offers retreats and experiences for high school students to experience Christian community, grow in faith, spend time with Jesus and learn how to bring his message to others. It is this team that organizes the SUMMIT retreats and is organizing the trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis this November.

In a recent study, Bishop Iffert said, out of the McGrath Institute, it was found that what helps young people most in maintaining their faith as they move into adulthood is a strong faith community.

“That’s what this seems to me, is we are today commissioning that community,” said Bishop Iffert. “When we come together in that kind of community, we are in a concrete way, the body of Christ.”

Bishop Iffert invites civil servants to ‘dare to be merciful’ at annual Red Mass

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

Civil servants came together for the annual Red Mass, held Sept. 18 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington.

Organized and sponsored by the St. Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Greater Cincinnati, the Red Mass is a tradition celebrated throughout the United States and Europe, through which lawyers and public officials seek to “invoke God’s blessing and guidance on the administration of justice.”

Bishop John Iffert was the celebrant and homilist of the Mass. In his homily, he spoke on humility, recounting the Gospel reading that accompanied the service.

In the reading, a woman, described as sinful, falls to the ground to anoint Jesus’s feet and washes them with her hair. When the Pharisees question this, Jesus asks them a simple question; “Do you see this woman?”

He’s not asking if they “see” her in the ordinary sense, Bishop Iffert said, but rather if they have taken her into account. “Have you noticed her, or is she just the sum total of her public reputation?” He elaborated, “Have you stopped to think about her, who she is, how she came to be at this point, how desperate she was to hear the good news?”

Bishop Iffert then went on to reference a 2017 TED Talk from the late Pope Francis, given at a conference discussing “how technology might reflect ethical decisions.”

In that context, Bishop Iffert says how Pope Francis questioned, with the many people facing hardships in the world, “Why them and not me?”

This falls in to the second question in the Gospel reading that stood out to Bishop Iffert, the question of “Who even dares to forgive sins?”

“Now,” Bishop Iffert said, “we who stand 2,000 years after these events, we have memorized these answers. We can answer with credo formulas — God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.”

After a pause, he asks again, “‘Who is this man?’ still rings as the question in our ears. Who dares to forgive? Who dares to be merciful? Who dares to notice and see one another? … Is he a cover we use to justify our own opinions, a kind of argument that we project into the world? Or, is he a living, acting friend of ours?”

“Luke poses that question,” Bishop Iffert said.

He goes on to reference the same TED Talk by Pope Francis, in which the pope also called for a “revolution of tenderness.” He drew from it a quote; “Tenderness is not weakness. It is instead fortitude.”

“It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility,” he said, “The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsibility you have to act humbly. If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.”

Thomas More announces direct admissions agreement with Covington Latin School

/in

Staff Report

Thomas More University (TMU) President Joseph Chillo joined Covington Latin School (CLS), Covington, Head of School Randy Dennis, Sept. 16, to announce a “groundbreaking” direct admissions agreement between TMU and the high school. This agreement, which begins this year with the graduating class of 2026, promises all eligible CLS students automatic, direct admission to TMU — and financial aid totaling up to $30,000 a year. Based on the 2025-26 tuition, students who earn the full $30,000 will have effectively the same cost to attend Thomas More as their current costs at Covington Latin School.

CLS students who meet TMU’s minimum admission requirements will receive an automatic award of $27,000 to which incremental increases based on ACT/SAT scores, as well as a $1,000 incentive for FAFSA qualifying students.

“As we continue to expand the affiliation between Thomas More University and Covington Latin School, this investment in our students will provide opportunities to advance the benefits of a Catholic Education for our region,” said Dr. Chillo. “This agreement invests in the future of these high-achieving students and removes the financial barrier to a Catholic Liberal Arts education.”

“This is a great day for the students at Covington Latin School,” stated Mr. Dennis. “Thomas More University has consistently stepped up to the plate for our institution, and this scholarship offering is just another example of their commitment to furthering Catholic education in Northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati Tri-State area.”

Construction is complete on the Mustang Athletic Complex with the addition of a baseball and softball field

/in

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Bishop Brossart High School, Alexandria, students, faculty and staff welcomed Bishop John Iffert, community members and donors to the blessing and dedication of the newly completed Verst Family Baseball Field and Bishop Brossart Softball Field. The Sept. 17 ceremony celebrated the hard work and dedication of all those involved in the completion of the Mustang Athletic Complex (MAC).

“We are excited for our entire community to have an athletic complex, not just these fields, but an entire complex which is second to none in Northern Kentucky,” said Chris Holtz, principal.

Construction on the baseball and softball fields began Nov. 22, when ground was broken at the site of the now completed fields. Each field has synthetic turf, a green monster, dugouts, fencing and lighting. The addition also included a press box, concession area and additional parking.

“These new fields provide the baseball team with more chances for games throughout the season, the turf field will reduce the number of rainouts and cancelled games, and the added lights will allow us to play later into the night,” said senior baseball player Landon Ruth.

The completion of the fields now means that Bishop Brossart High School will be able to host both home and regional tournament games.

Hosting these games is a highlight of the new fields, said Mr. Ruth, “these events will show spectators how strong the Brossart community is.”

For senior softball player Rachel Shewmaker, the highlight of the new fields is the community which they represent.

“Brossart wants to use these fields, not just for athletes, but also for the community,” she said to the crowd, “You all shared with us, and we want to share this facility with others. You have helped us to make our dreams of having an all-encompassing sports complex come true.”

Before blessing the field, Bishop Iffert took a moment to speak, “I’m excited for you because you’re demonstrating your commitment to help young people grow in virtue and to learn how to embrace the best of what is youth culture in a way that’s going to help them develop into bright, successful, capable young people — to learn how to win well and to lose well,” he said.

The presence of God through the athletes on the new fields was not understated by the Brossart community. Mr. Ruth said in his remarks, “We are building an establishment where coaches, players and fans will be able to experience God’s grace on and off the field.”

Bishop Iffert blessed the fields saying, “Bless this place. We entreat your kindness that this place will contribute to leisure activities that renew the spirit and strengthen mind and body. Grant that all who meet here may find the enrichment of companionship and together, offer you the praise.”

Then, taking the aspergillum, Bishop Iffert blessed the fields and the crowd, so that they all might be filled with the spirit of God’s grace as athletes take the field for the first time in March.

Season of Creation is a ‘good time’ to renew commitment to life, the environment, says Divine Providence sister

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

In 2015, the late Pope Francis established Sept. 1 as the first World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. This year — now 10 years ago — also marks the publishing of the Laudato Si’ (Praise Be to You) encyclical, which further promotes all people towards stewardship to the planet and natural world.

This devotion to caring for the earth grew in 2019, when Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to participate in the Season of Creation — a month lasting from Sept. 1 to Oct. 4 — a fitting conclusion as the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of ecology. The Season of Creation is an ecumenical celebration — inviting all Christian churches to participate.

Religious sisters, and notably the Sisters of Divine Providence, have a special devotion to the mission of Laudato Si’, and thus, the Season of Creation. According to Divine Providence Sister Kay Kramer, the sisters internationally have committed to the Laudato Si’ action platform, a platform established by the Vatican dicastery that outlines ways to put into action care for the environment. The platform gives seven different goals to help guide dioceses, religious communities and anyone who wishes to involve themselves in the mission.

“Celebrating the Season of Creation is, for us, part and parcel of our commitment to Laudato Si’,” Sister Kay said, with care for the poor and defending human life being their goal of focus for the 2025 year. In their community, the sisters encourage one another to adopt their Laudato Si’ commitment, and a prayer service in October will allow them to celebrate the Season of Creation together.

“Hopefully, the more people learn about Laudato Si’ and the Season of Creation, they will want to get involved,” said Sister Kay. “It’s a great way to introduce young people to caring for the earth and to seeing the connection between living out our faith and that caring … there’s so many Scripture references to creation and caring for the earth … I think it’s integral to our faith.”

Laudato Si’ reaffirmed this aspect of the Catholic faith, Sister Kay said, and thus, “the connection between living our faith and taking care of this beautiful earth that God has given us.”

“As people continue to face challenges with climate disasters and happenings around the world, it’s important for all of us to recognize that we can do things,” Sister Kay concluded, giving examples such as cutting down on waste and conserving energy. “All of those things, which might seem small, they really do make a difference for the earth. The Season of Creation is a good time for all of us to remember that.”

For more information about the Season of Creation, including ways to get involved, visit https://seasonofcreation.org.