Laudato Si’ Action Plan

The Catholic Diocese of Lexington Laudato Si’ Action Plan

In his 2015 Encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home, Pope Francis states that “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (217).

These words remind us that our call to care for creation is an essential part of Christian life and the life of the Church. In his 2023 Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum, Pope Francis makes plain that this vocation requires the Church, at every level, to take bold, urgent, and faith-filled action.

In response to this call, and with firm trust in the work of the Holy Spirit, the Diocese of Lexington marks the 10^th anniversary of Laudato Si’ with its Laudato Si’ Action Plan. The plan is comprised of two main components: 1) Diocesan Commitments and 2) Laudato Si Action Plans from all 59 parishes/missions.

Diocesan Commitments

The Diocese of Lexington is committed to Net-Zero by 2030, as announced in 2024, for its scope two emissions. The Diocese is also committed to ensuring that its investments align with its values and promote care for creation. Additionally, as of March 1, 2024, the Chancery implemented The Catholic Center’s Commitment to Care for Creation: Policies, Guidelines, and Next Steps. This Catholic Center Commitment, along with a description of the Net-Zero Commitment, can be found in the final section of this plan.

Parish Plans

The second dimension of the plan is the parish Laudato Si’ Action Plans from all 59 parishes/missions. These plans articulate how each faith community, in its own context and with God’s people, plans to pursue the Seven Goals of Laudato Si’ in simple and profound ways.

In his recent Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum, Pope Francis calls on the Church to respond to the environmental crisis with urgent and decisive action. Climate change, he says, “is no longer a secondary or ideological question, but a drama that harms us all” (3) as “the world in which we live is collapsing” (2). This grave reality demands serious action on every level and a bold commitment from the Church. In response to this call from Pope Francis, the Catholic Diocese of Lexington commits to developing and implementing a new diocesan Laudato Si’ Action Plan over the course of 2024-2025.

The process of the plan will follow three simple steps: reflection, action, and evaluation. The structure of the plan will take on synodal elements and will emphasize the practice of subsidiarity, relying on discernment and implementation at the local level. The diocesan plan will include a synthesis of the commitments discerned by parishes and participating ministries. Parish and ministry plans will be the fruit of listening and community engagement, and locations will receive support and accompaniment from the Office of Peace and Justice throughout the entire process. Along with responding to the urgent call from Pope Francis, this plan will reflect the vision of our own diocesan pastoral plan, A Community of Missionary Disciples, which prioritizes faithful stewardship in the care for creation and use of church resources.