Care for Creation
Franciscans are dedicated to the care of creation, seeing all creatures as brothers and sisters.
Saints Francis and Clare had a relational understanding of creation. All creatures, from the smallest to “our Sister, Mother Earth,” were sisters and brothers, part of the very family of God. Because of this, Francis was named the patron saint of ecology by Pope John Paul II. Following this tradition, St. Bonaventure developed a theological and spiritual vision that acknowledged all creation as emanating from the goodness of God, existing as a “footprint” of God, and leading us back to God if we are able to “read” nature properly. He spoke of creation as the first book that God wrote.
“Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically…He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.”
-Pope Francis, Laudato Si #10
Laudato Si Week Webinar
On the heels of our successful virtual gathering of Franciscans for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, the staff of FAN was proud to host a Laudato Si'...
Creation 3-2-1
FAN Member Carolyn D. Townes, OFS is the National Animator of Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation for the U.S. Secular Franciscan Order and has...
Virtual Franciscan Ecumenical Advocacy Days Gathering
Each year, Franciscans gather at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days' (EAD) annual conference to build relationships, hear about advocacy opportunities and...
Franciscans Celebrate Caring for Creation
As followers of the patron saint of ecology, Franciscans are used to gathering at rallys and vigils for the climate, as in the above photo from a...
Urge your Members of Congress to Oppose EPA Rollbacks
In a newsletter I receive from the Little Portion Farm (a ministry of the Franciscan Friars Conventual, Our Lady of the Angels Province in Ellicott...
Caring for Creation: Celebrate Earth Day at 50 and Laudato Si Week
As Franciscans, we hold a special place in our heart for our Mother Earth. We see our God reflected in her beauty and remember the necessity of a...
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