In his homily for Pentecost, Cardinal Vincent Nichols shared with the Diocese of Westminster the Pastoral Letter on the Environment:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am very pleased to share with you this Pastoral Letter, prepared by the Bishops of England and Wales for use in churches on 23 May 2021, Pentecost Sunday:

Read or listen to the full text of the Pastoral Letter for Pentecost

The letter invited everyone to play their part using any of the many resources now freely available:

“We all have a part to play, each and every one of us, in the routines, choices and decisions of our everyday lives and our aspirations for the future. The actions of parishes, families, schools, and individuals will have a significant impact on our efforts to restore our common home. There are now many resources, freely available, to advise us on our choice of food, saving of water and electricity, suggestions about travel, waste, and re-use. These are measures that everyone can employ, in some degree, with minimal inconvenience and change. They are effective ways in which we can each reaffirm our personal vocation to be stewards of creation.”

Pastoral Letter for Pentecost, 2021

Here are five of our top tips from the Westminster Justice & Peace Commission:

1. Be Inspired by Pope Francis – Read his Encyclial Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home (24 May 2015)
   
2. Take Individual Action – Download the 100 Livesimply Ideas from CAFOD and pick three you haven’t tried yet!
   
3. Take Parish or School Action – Work Towards the Livesimply Award – 6 parishes and 2 schools in Westminster have won the Livesimply Award: Our Lady Immaculate Hitchin; St John Vianney, West Green, Tottenham; Sacred Heart of Jesus and St Joseph, Ware; Holy Apostles, Pimlico; Mary Immaculate and St Peter, New Barnet; Our Lady of Lourdes, Harpenden; Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School, Ealing; St Mary’s Primary School, Isleworth. Could yours be next? Visit CAFOD Livesimply for more details and to register interest.
   
4. Enter the Season of Creation Video Competition – Encourage your school or parish to produce a 3-minute video to demonstrate how you care for our common home and enter our Diocese of Westminster video competition. Deadline 1st October 2021. Prizes to be won – 1st prize £500 garden centre vouchers!
   
5. Take Global Action – Sign up for updates from the Global Catholic Climate Movement or even become a Laudato Si’ Animator for your community…

Happy Laudato Si’ Anniversary, everyone!

You can also explore the Care of Creation pages on the Justice & Peace website