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May 29, 2025This year marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si.” The title translates to “Praise Be To You,” a reference to Saint Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Creatures,” a religious song praising God for all of creation, from Brother Sun to Sister Water.
The encyclical’s subtitle is “On Care for Our Common Home.”
Pope Francis deftly wove together Catholic social teachings on creation care, citing saints, scripture and popes, establishing a common thread throughout hundreds of years of theology. These issues are not foreign to liturgy, but rather deeply familiar.
At each Mass, during the blessing of the Eucharist, the priest says, “Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation.”
Uniquely, Laudato Si’ is addressed to “every person living on this planet,” not just Catholics, because caring for everyone’s common home is an urgent and universal responsibility. Pope Francis did not mince his words. He plainly called out the destruction of God’s creation: human-caused climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution and throwaway culture, caused by greed and a collective moral breakdown, an “internal desert,” as described by Pope Benedict XVI.
However, it’s not just an environmental encyclical, almost half of the encyclical is dedicated to economic justice. Laudato Si’ highlights both the cries of the Earth and the poor. Throwaway culture refers not only to microplastics and hyper consumerism, but also to how society discards marginalized people – migrants, the elderly, the poor, etc.
According to Paz Artaza-Regan, program manager at Catholic Climate Covenant, “We cannot, as a Church, be talking about taking care of our most vulnerable brothers and sisters if we're not talking about how climate change is impacting their communities.”
Everything is interconnected.
Pope Francis would often pose the question: “What kind of world are we leaving to our children?” Mount St. Mary Catholic High School in Oklahoma City provides two recent examples of caring for creation.
Soil to Soul
Deacon Robert Dunlap teaches freshman theology at Mount St. Mary. This school year, he started a program called the Soil to Soul Initiative, where freshmen spend one day each month on a ranch to learn practical agricultural, vocational and medical skills.
Its main goal is to prepare these young students for adulthood. It’s an opportunity to spend time outside, communing with nature and one another, away from screens.
“All that we have is a gift, and our only response to a gift is ‘thank you,’” Dunlap said. “We want to get back to God's creation, the dirt. We're created from the dirt (Genesis, 2:7). This year being our first year, we worked the soil, we gathered the soil, and everything goes back into the soil.
“The root of humility is ‘humus.’ Humus is simply all the dead plant and animal life.”
Grotto Beautification Day
Kim Dandurand teaches sophomore theology at Mount St. Mary. This spring, she led her students through a Stations of the Cross on the campus grounds, when the grotto caught her students’ attention. It needed some extra care.
So one Saturday, Dandurand held a grotto beautification project. About 30 students, plus some parents, participated, making the project a success.
“I just was blown away by their response to the call,” said Dandurand.
More service days to beautify and maintain the grounds are anticipated.
On Laudato Si’, Dandurand said, “Like when Saul was knocked off his horse, this document is a knock-you-off-your-horse kind of moment, and it also makes you realize that I might not be able to do much, but I can do something.”
With Pope Francis’ passing and the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, now offers a time to read or revisit the landmark encyclical. There are many ways to respond to the call of Laudato Si.’ This year, Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation are being held throughout the United States to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si', and the 800th Anniversary of “Canticle of the Creatures.”
There will be a pilgrimage at Saint Gregory’s Abbey in Shawnee on Saturday, Sept. 27. There is a Laudato Si’ Action Plan for institutions and individuals, which can be accessed through the official website: laudatosiactionplatform.org.
Olivia Dailey is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
Sophomore theology students from Mount St. Mary Catholic High School volunteered for a grotto beatification day on May 10, where they learned about caring for creation. Photos provided
Freshman theology students at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School participated in the Soil to Soul initiative this school year. Activities included making Stations of the Cross and wooden crosses. Photos provided.