Event Summary Epiphany Catholic Church's Lenten Parish Mission, March 16-18, 2025, "God's Invitation to Conversion through Conversation."
2025 Parish Mission
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Creation Care Team
Protect, Advocate and Stand for Responsible Stewardship of Our Common Home
Inspired by Pope Francis' call to Action on his encyclical, Laudato Si’ (2015), and Pope Leo XIV's affirmation of it (2025), we work to raise Awareness of our Christian obligation to care for our Common Home and the Earth, and energize a response to its degradation and restoration.
As a parish community, we're committed to a journey of ecological conversion, transforming our hearts and our habits to 'cultivate and care' (Genesis 2:15) the precious gift of God’s creation for the benefit of all generations.
Monthly 90-minute meetings. Other activities, such as advocating for creation care with engaging events, and any stirring actions as needed
M
The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.Genesis 2:15
Common Home
Newsletters
Call to Action
Sustainable Parish
Transitioning to renewable energy and eliminating waste to lead by example.
Eco-Spirituality
Integrating the "Season of Creation" into our Mass and daily prayer life.
Integral Justice
Standing with the vulnerable who are first affected by environmental change.
Youth: Protagonists of our future
Climate Advocacy: Mobilizing for systemic change through local action and awareness.
Guardians of the Garden
Native Plant Finder
Search by Louisville Zip Code
Homegrown Park Map
Put ourselves on the national map
Seek by iNaturalist
Great app for mentor/youth plant ID
Videos of Green Saints
YouTube playlist (four videos)
Creation Care in Louisville
Restore the Canopy
Louisville has one of the nation's fastest-growing urban heat islands. Parishioners can join Louisville Tree Week or plant native trees to provide cooling shade for vulnerable neighborhoods.
Eco-Spirituality Hub
Located in the Highlands, the Earth & Spirit Center offers workshops on meditation and sustainable living rooted in the Passionist tradition.
Protect the Watershed
The Ohio River and Beargrass Creek are vital to our region. Join parish clean-up days or support the Beargrass Creek Alliance in restoring our local waterways.
Environmental Justice
Advocate for cleaner air in Louisville's West End (Rubbertown), supporting neighbors disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution.
National & Regional Partnerships
Deep Green Faith
The educational arm of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center (Louisville). Grounded in the work of Thomas Berry, it provides spiritual training to transition from an alienated relationship with Earth to a flourishing one.
Interfaith Power & Light
A national movement of 20,000+ congregations addressing climate change through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and prophetic policy advocacy.
Saint Kateri Conservation
The educational arm of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center (Louisville). Grounded in the work of Thomas Berry, it provides spiritual training to transition from an alienated relationship with Earth to a flourishing one.
Catholic Energies
The practical implementation arm for parishes. They provide turn-key solar energy and energy efficiency solutions specifically designed for Catholic institutions and dioceses.
What's Creation Care?
The Catholic Church’s teaching on Creation Care is rooted on the basis that the natural world is not to be exploited, but a sacred gift from God to be cherished, cared for and protected.
While this teaching has existed for centuries, it was systematically defined and expanded by Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home. Here are the core pillars of that teaching:
In short, the Catholic Church views Creation Care as a profoundly pro-life issue. To protect life, one must protect the systems (water, air, climate, food) that sustain life. It is not an "optional" or "green" hobby. It is a central requirement of our Christian faith.
Pope Leo XIV confirmed the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si’ as a call to move from inspiration to implementation. He invites all parishes in 2025 to become "Seeds of Peace and Hope", specifically urging the younger generations, who he calls "protagonists of the future", to lead the charge in creating sustainable lifestyles.
Transition from "Words to Deeds"
Marking the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Leo XIV pushes for concrete results. In his address to the COP30 Climate Conference in Brazil (November 2025), he challenged world leaders:
While this teaching has existed for centuries, it was systematically defined and expanded by Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home. Here are the core pillars of that teaching:
- Integral Ecology
The most significant contribution of modern Catholic teaching everything is connected. We cannot separate how we treat the environment from how we treat people. "May (Laudato Si’) continue to inspire us and may integral ecology be increasingly accepted as the right path to follow... Living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience." -
Stewardship vs. Dominion
The Church provides a clarification to the historical misunderstanding of Genesis 1:28 ("have dominion over the earth").
Genesis 2:15: The Church emphasizes this verse as the true mandate: we are called to "cultivate and care" the garden of the world, not to dominate and use indiscriminately.
Rejection of Anthropocentrism: Teaching clarifies that while humans have a unique dignity, the rest of creation has its own intrinsic value. We are not "masters" of the universe, but stewards acting on behalf of the Creator. -
The Universal Destination of Goods
This is a principle of Catholic Social Teaching stating that the earth and its resources are intended for the benefit of all people, not just those who can afford them or those who happen to live on resource-rich land.
Private Property is not Absolute: While the Church recognizes private property, it teaches that a "social mortgage" exists on all goods. If the way we use our resources harms the common home or deprives others of necessities (like clean water), it is a failure of morality. -
Intergenerational Justice
Creation Care is an act of love for those who are not yet born. The Church teaches that we have a moral obligation to leave a habitable and beautiful world for future generations. To pass on a "debris-filled" planet is considered a failure of our duty to our children. -
Ecological Conversion
The Church calls for a "profound interior conversion." This means:
Moving away from "Throwaway Culture": Rejecting the obsessive consumerism that leads to massive waste.
Gratitude and Rest: Finding joy in simple things and recovering the sense of the "Sabbath"—a time to rest from production and consumption to contemplate God’s work in nature.
In short, the Catholic Church views Creation Care as a profoundly pro-life issue. To protect life, one must protect the systems (water, air, climate, food) that sustain life. It is not an "optional" or "green" hobby. It is a central requirement of our Christian faith.
Pope Leo XIV confirmed the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si’ as a call to move from inspiration to implementation. He invites all parishes in 2025 to become "Seeds of Peace and Hope", specifically urging the younger generations, who he calls "protagonists of the future", to lead the charge in creating sustainable lifestyles.
Transition from "Words to Deeds"
Marking the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Leo XIV pushes for concrete results. In his address to the COP30 Climate Conference in Brazil (November 2025), he challenged world leaders:
- He censured the "failure of political will" to act.
- He called for "unwavering solidarity" behind climate cooperation.
- He said that "Stronger climate actions will create stronger and fairer economic systems."
Related Information
Advocates for the Common Good
We help shape Epiphany's legislative advocacy efforts and assist with engaging parishioners into action on legislative issues pertinent to Catholic Social Teaching. The team works in conjunction with the Catholic Conference of Kentucky and national Catholic organizations.
CLOUT (Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together)
Take action for justice together with the diverse congregations across the city to solve community-wide problems that impact affordable housing, aging in place, literacy, mental health and other issues.
Creation Care Team
Inspired by Pope Francis' call to Action on his encyclical, Laudato Si’ (2015), and Pope Leo XIV's affirmation of it (2025), we work to raise Awareness of our Christian obligation to care for our Common Home and the Earth, and energize a response to its degradation and restoration.
As a parish community, we're committed to a journey of ecological conversion, transforming our hearts and our habits to 'cultivate and care' (Genesis 2:15) the precious gift of God’s creation for the benefit of all generations.
Eyeglass Ministry
Meet regularly to read and record eyeglass prescriptions for Kendall Optometry Ministry, which sends glasses to people in developing countries.
Habitat for Humanity - Epiphany Build Team
Join a team of volunteers to collaborate with other area parishes to build a house bi-annually and work year-round building and rehabbing homes at other sites. Contact Chuck Sgro or Bob Clickner (502) 741-8048
Hunger and Poverty Committee
Respond to hunger and poverty in the metro area, sponsor parish-wide collections at Lent and Thanksgiving, and coordinate other relevant programming.
Prison Ministry
Provide Catholic ministry to incarcerated people at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex.
Social Concerns Forum
This ministry team plans and hosts safe and inclusive forums for community members and guests to hear presentations and engage in dialogue on the urgent issues of our times through the lens of faith, justice and Catholic Social Teaching.
St. Vincent De Paul - Epiphany Conference
Provide emergency funding to those needing rent or utility assistance. Work closely with Eastern Area Community Ministries and other local ministries and SVDP conferences to serve the needs of low-income people.
Twinning Committee: Chiapas
Gather to discuss ways to continue growing our sister parish relationship with San Lorenzo Mártir parish in Amatán, Mexico.
Women's Concerns Committee
Through spiritual development and education, this committee supports women in the Church and in society by studying women of the Bible and the Church, promoting inclusive language in scripture, spotlighting the needs and the gifts of women and girls, and hosting the annual Mary Magdalene feast day celebration. All are welcome.
Join Our Worship Community
Experience the joy of worship and community at Epiphany Catholic Church. Participate in our liturgical services and become a member of our vibrant faith family. Together, let's celebrate the Eucharist, live the Gospel, and embrace the love of God and neighbor. We invite you to join us in this spiritual journey.