World Day of Peace & Feast of Mary, Mother of God

Mary of the Cosmos
by Bernadette Bostwick sgm

January 1, 2010

"IF YOU WANT TO CULTIVATE PEACE,
PROTECT CREATION"

Excerpts from

Pope Benedict XVI's World Day of Peace message:

Is it not true that what we call “nature” in a cosmic sense
has its origin in “a plan of love and truth”?

The goods of creation belong to humanity as a whole.
Yet the current pace of environmental exploitation is seriously
endangering the supply of certain natural resources not only for the
present generation, but above all for generations yet to come.

A greater sense of intergenerational solidarity is
urgently needed. . . . The ecological crisis shows the
urgency of a solidarity which embraces time and space.

If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.
The quest for peace by people of good will surely would
become easier if all acknowledge the indivisible relationship
between God, human beings and the whole of creation.

May this be clear to world leaders and to those at every level
who are concerned for the future of humanity:
the protection of creation and peacemaking
are profoundly linked!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday Sept 20: A Care for Creation Gathering

Announcing a new blog:
HOLY GROUND, COMMON GROUND
A Care for Creation Resource for Tucson area Catholics

All are welcome to our gathering on:

HOLY GROUND, COMMON GROUND:
CARE FOR CREATION &
THE CATHOLIC TRADITION

Date: Sunday Sept 20
Time: 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Place: Our Mother of Sorrows
in the Parish Activity Center Auditorium (Bldg #7)
Address: 1800 S. Kolb Rd, Tucson AZ


We will open with a meditation and scripture, followed by a talk on how the themes of stewardship of the Earth and Care for Creation are woven through Scripture and Catholic tradition. The key themes of the U.S. Bishops' statements on Renewing the Earth and Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good will be shared, along with the environmental messages from our Popes. Also included will be a basic overview of the relevant science as linked to our call for a faith-based response to environmental issues. There will be time for discussion and sharing and a variety of resources for learning more will be available.

The Holy Ground, Common Ground Core Resource Team will be the presenters.

Visit: HOLY GROUND, COMMON GROUND

Care for Creation: Attend the Organic Garden Festival

Organic Garden Festival & Plant Sale

DATE: Sunday March 8,2009

TIME: 10:30 to 3:30

LOCATION: St. Mark's Presbyterian Church Grounds
3809 E 3rd Street
Tucson

-- Visit and dine in the Organic Community Gardens

-- Great lunches plus a Bake Sale
-- Free Organic Gardening Information
-- Organic Gardening Supplies for Sale
-- Earth Friendly Vendors
-- Children's Games & Activities

Admission is Free - Food, activites, and organic gardening solutions start at $1.00

All proceeds benefit Tucson Organic Gardeners, a non-profit organization

For more details, see the Festival Flyer [pdf]

Learn more about: Tucson Organic Gardeners

http://www.tucsonorganicgardeners.org/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sr. Dorothy "Dot" Stang -- Memorial

We are only here on the land
for a few decades.
Use every day to bring joy
and not greed

to our tired land so full of anguish.

- Sr. Dorothy Stang

“The death of the Forest is the end of our Life.”
Icon painted by Father Bill McNichols, S.J.

Sister Dorothy Stang was murdered in the Amazon Forest on February 12, of 2005 -- a modern day martyr for the poor and the environment.

Sister Dorothy defended “the human rights of the poor, landless and indigenous populations of the Anapu region of Brazil for nearly 40 years, despite numerous death threats. She worked with farmers to help rebuild their livelihoods, cultivate their land and defend their rights from loggers and ranchers, becoming a symbol of the fight to preserve the rainforest before being killed in 2005.” [Citation as she was posthumously awarded the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights, December 2008.]

Sr. Dorothy, Peacemaker with the Earth, rest in peace.

Learn more about Sister Dorothy:
http://www.sndohio.org/dotstang.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bus Fares are frozen

Advocacy works! Thanks everyone for your advocacy for the poor and the environment!!

See:

Rally to protest Sun Tran fare hikes on Tuesday (Tucson Citizen 6-14-08)

120 protest proposed bus fare increase (Tucson Citizen 6-17-08)

Council turnaround freezes bus fares (Arizona Daily Star 6-18-08)

Council kicks bus fare increase to the curb (Tucson Citizen 6-18-08)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday June 17: An Opportunity to Advocate for the Poor & the Environment!

An invitation from
Brian Flagg of Casa Maria:

You are invited to:

A BIG BUS RIDER PARTY !!!
To stop increased Bus Fares for SunTran.

When: Tuesday, June 17 @ 5:15 pm
Where: Tucson City Hall 255 W. Alameda map

HOT DOGS & LEMONADE

INSPIRATIONAL SPEECHES
by Tucson's most famous environmentalist
CAROLYN CAMPBELL,

PANCHO • Don Francisco • MEDINA
Minister of Culture at Casa Maria
& Others

MUSICA: Francisco and Alicia Robles

And your LOUD, STRONG VOICES ! ! ! !

--------------------------------
At 6 pm we will attend the City Council Public Hearing.
After the hearing the Council will vote on raising the fares.

----------------------------------
Come and tell the 6 Democracts and 1 Republican on the Council
TO NOT BALANCE THEIR BUDGET
ON THE BACKS OF THE POOR !

Come and tell them that with today's gas prices,
NOW is the TIME to SAVE the PLANET
by coaxing people out of their cars
and on to the bus!

Contact these Council Members NOW to express your views:
Nina Trasoff 791-4601
Shirley Scott 791-3199

Sponsored by Casa Maria

For more information, call Brian at 624-0312

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

World Environment Day 2008

From the World Environment Day website:

"World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action."



"The World Environment Day slogan for 2008 is Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy. . . . The event will highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption."

Click HERE for the website's Twelve Steps to Help You Kick the CO2 Habit and see also 80 Ways to Celebrate World Environment Day

The website also encourages us to do the following:

"On this World Environment Day, let us examine the state of our environment. Let us consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence."

. . . and as part of our call to Peace, Justice, and Catholic Social Teaching, let us also add PRAYER to our observation of World Environment Day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Celebrate World Fair Trade Day -- Saturday May 10th

World Fair Trade Day 2008

Have you been enjoying Just Coffee /Cafe' Justo? How about Divine Chocolate?

Saturday May 10th is WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY -- a day to celebrate the global movment that supports these and other fair trade products promoted in our Diocese and by Catholic Relief Services.

Things to do for World Fair Trade Day:

-- Read about this year's theme "FAIR TRADE + Ecology" at the World Fair Trade Day website.


-- Visit the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Fair Trade Blog

-- Learn more about Just Coffee/Cafe' Justo -- our "local" border area Fair Trade+ enterprise which got started in 2002 when small-scale coffee farmers in Chiapas bought a coffee roaster in Agua Prieta with a loan from Frontera de Cristo, a bi-national border ministry of the Presbyterian Church. Learn how Cafe' Justo creates one positive solution to the migration issue. Meet the people (growers and directors) behind the coffee in Salvador Urbina, Chiapas and Agua Prieta, Sonora.

-- Read a Fair Trade Overview and learn how to identify and find Fair Trade Certified products at the Fair Trade Certified website.


-- Browse A Greater Gift (on online catalogue promoted by CRS) to find hundreds of fair trade gifts and products (including Divine Chocolate!).


-- Reflect on how supporting FAIR TRADE is one way of promoting the Catholic Social Teaching principles of : The Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers, Solidarity, and Care for God's Creation.

-- Pray for, support, and join with -- all those engaged in transforming our world by promoting justice and peace through FAIR TRADE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earth Day - We are All Called to Care for All Creation

Some websites to visit today from the USCCB's Environmental Justice Program:

About the Environmental Justice Program

Faithful Stewards of God's Creation:A Catholic Resource for Environmental Justice and Climate Change

Why does the Church Care about Climate Change?

New Mexico Catholic Bishops' Statement on the Environment - Partnership for the Future

And to bring it all to prayer . . . a beautiful and timeless reflection for today!

St. Francis's Canticle of the Sun

O most High, almighty, good Lord God,
to you belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing!
Praised be my Lord God with all creatures;
and especially our brother the sun,
which brings us the day, and the light;
fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor:
O Lord, he signifies you to us!

Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon,

and for the stars,
which God has set clear and lovely in heaven.

Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind,
and for air and cloud, calms and all weather,
by which you uphold in life all creatures.

Praised be my Lord for our sister water,
which is very serviceable to us,
and humble, and precious, and clean.

Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
through which you give us light in the darkness:
and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty, and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth,
which sustains us and keeps us,
and yields divers fruits, and flowers of many colors, and grass.

Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon one another for God's love's sake,
and who endure weakness and tribulation;
blessed are they who peaceably shall endure,
for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!

Praised be my Lord for our sister,
the death of the body, from which no one escapes.
Woe to him who dies in mortal sin!
Blessed are they who are found walking by your most holy will,
for the second death shall have no power to do them harm.

Praise you, and bless you the Lord,
and give thanks to God, and serve God with great humility.

(St. Francis, 1182-1226)

April 7th is World Health Day

World Health Day, on 7 April, marks the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) and is an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.

In 2008, World Health Day focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change.

The WHO website reminds us that "the health impacts of climate change will hit the poor hardest":

The physical effects of climate change will vary in different geographical locations. The human health impacts from climate change are further modified by such conditions as level of development, poverty and education, public health infrastructure, land use practices and political structure. Initially, developing countries will be hit the hardest. Countries with high levels of poverty and malnutrition, weak health infrastructures and/or political unrest will be the least able to cope.

This theme of the vulnerability of the poor to the effects of climate change is echoed in the USCCB's statement on: Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good. As Earth Day approaches, why not read (or re-read) and reflect on this important document from our U.S. Bishops?

See also this earlier post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earth Hour: 8-9 pm on Saturday Mar 29th

Jesus asked: "Could you not keep watch for one hour? Mk 14:37

This Saturday night, people from around the globe are going to be "keeping watch" in a different way for "Planet Earth." As Christians we can add a deeper dimension to this unique, hour-long gesture of the global community by using this time to bring our care and concern for the gift of Creation to God in prayer.

Why not join the Earth Hour this year?

The following background and more links can be found at: http://www8.earthhourus.org/ Here is the Phoenix Earth Hour website: http://www9.earthhourus.org/phoenix.php

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.

Earth Hour was created by WWF in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and in one year has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. More than 100 cities across North America will participate, including the US flagships–Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco and Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

We invite everyone throughout North America and around the world to turn off the lights for an hour starting at 8 p.m. (your own local time)–whether at home or at work, with friends and family or solo, in a big city or a small town.

What will you do when the lights are off? We have lots of ideas.

Join people all around the world in showing that you care about our planet and want to play a part in helping to fight climate change. Don’t forget to sign up and let us know you want to join Earth Hour.

One hour, America. Earth Hour. Turn out for Earth Hour!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Solar Rock 2008 Saturday March 29th

Tucson's 2nd Annual 100% Solar-Powered SOLAR ROCK FESTIVAL will be held on:

Saturday, March 29 from 12-5 pm
Himmel Park
(South of Speedway, East of Tucson Blvd.)

Activities include:

Green Business Exhibitors
Lightbulb Exchange
Freecycle "Free Bee"
Cellphone Recycle
Children's Activities
Free Bike Valet Service

For more details see: http://www.solar-rock.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sleuthing in Your Supermarket: Learning to Shop with a Conscience

Sleuthing in Your Supermarket: Learning to Shop with a Conscience

Kitty Ufford-Chase, Faith Community Coordinator at the Community Food Bank, offers a five-session course at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, (just East of Swan on 22nd St.) on issues surrounding food and faith Monday evenings from April 7 through May 5 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm in the Awareness meeting room.

The following will be explored:

• The history of supermarkets, current and future trends, and how the supermarket fits into the global food system.


• Supermarket advertising, marketing and consumption: understanding the corporate role, and the messages we get from supermarkets.


• Environmental impacts within the supermarket itself, in its supply chain, and in the household.


• Social justice in the food system and supermarkets from middle-class and low-income perspectives: accessibility, affordability, and food appropriateness.


• Looking at alternatives and options for action to support a more just food system.

The fee for the five-session class is $15 to cover supplies; any money left over will be donated to the Food Bank by UUCT. Scholarships are always available and always given.

Please email mike-greenbaum@qwestoffice.net or call him at 326-8831 to sign up. Payment may be made by credit card by calling Jean in the church office at 748-1551.

Announcing: a new program on God's Creation & Climate Change

At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest pressures. It is about the future of God’s creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both “the human environment” and the natural environment.

US Bishops 2001 Statement on: Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good

An 8-week program on God's Creation Cries for Justice—Climate Change: Impact and Response will be offered on Thursday evenings in the Diocese of Tucson, beginning February 28th. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Environmental Justice Program, JustFaith, and the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change and is based on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. JustFaith graduates are particularly invited to participate, but the program is open to any interested persons who are willing to commit to the 8-week session. The program will be facilitated by JustFaith graduates from Our Mother of Sorrows and St. Pius X parishes, including UA experts on climate change and the environment.

Topics will include: Catholic teaching on the environment, the science of climate change, environmental justice and the poor, faith-based responses, and practical actions. Sessions will be held on Thursday evenings at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish from 6:30 - 9:00 pm. Dates are: Feb 28; Mar 6, 13, 27; Apr 3, 10; and May 1 with an “immersion experience” field trip on Saturday Apr 26.

For more details and to inquire about registering, contact Katie Hirschboeck at clc@omosclc.org

Registration may be limited to keep the size of the group manageable.

NOTE: ADDITIONAL DETAILS WILL BE POSTED SOON ON THIS BLOG UNDER Catholic Social Teaching (CST) Theme #7: Care for Creation.

Pope Benedict XVI's World Day of Peace Message

January 1, 2008 -- Pope Benedict XVI's 2008 World Day of Peace Message is titled "THE HUMAN FAMILY, A COMMUNITY OF PEACE" CLICK HERE to read the entire message, which is posted at the Vatican website: http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

A short description of the Pope's message is posted at the Center of Concern's Education for Justice site:

In his January 1, 2008 World Day of Peace Message, Pope Benedict XVI focuses on several main topics, including the challenges of relativism, global citizenship and the family, environmental stewardship, the call for disarmament and the need to fight poverty.

The "Education for Justice" (EFJ) site http://www.educationforjustice.org/ of the Center of Concern (CoC) http://www.coc.org/ provides a 2-page summary of the Pope's message, along with a Prayer for Peace. The EFJ site contains many other resources for education on Peace and Justice issues.

(NOTE: a membership is required for access to many of the EFJ materials. A Free Trial is available. Click here for more information about the EFJ site, membership, and the free trial.)

Community Supported Agriculture

Encouraging Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one way we can live more simply, sustainably, and in tune with our environment. Learn more at the Tucson CSA website.


KUAT TV recently aired two segments on Community Supported Agriculture and how one can live sustainably -- even in Tucson. Here are links to the two videos on KUAT's website:

Community Supported Agriculture-1 "Community Supported Agriculture in Tucson"

Community Supported Agriculture-2 "Urban Chickens"


The KUAT website also includes the following links:

Community Food Bank

Farm directory

Native Seeds Search

Climate Change and Catholic Social Teaching

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just came out with the most recent report in its series on Climate Change 2007. Press release info about the reports can be found here.

This would be a good time to review the USCCB's 2001 statement on this issue: Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good.

For a more recent February 2007 statement by the USCCB on climate change, see: U.S. Bishops Call for Moral Focus on Global Climate Change; New Report Demands Urgent Attention


The USCCB currently is engaged in a Climate Change Justice and Health Initiative. See the website for additional information and resources for parishes.