THE STORY – A new name and living our mission on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Its official!  We are now Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement – Canada (MLSM Canada).  Our new name reflects our aspiration for a bilingual organization, in line with the name change of our parent movement. In Canada, we work in partnership with allies, the Laudato Si’ Movement (LSM), and Catholics across Canada in order to respond to Pope Francis' urgent call for social, political, and ecological transformation and to animate the insights articulated in Laudato Si’ and other Catholic social teachings. We seek to ignite, inspire, and grow as a community of persons and institutions on a journey of integral ecological conversion, and that acts courageously to care for our common home. 

Dr. Lorna Gold writes about the decisions leading to international movement’s name change and expanded mission. “We are broadening our mission to include ecological justice. This broader vision requires a system change which starts with a change of heart. Achieving ecological justice is a call to first recognise the injustice is manifold and includes injustice against those in poverty, those who have done least to cause the problems, those yet to be born, those protecting ancestral lands from ecological devastation, and non-human species. This means continuing the long traditions of many Catholic organisations, and joining with youth in prophetic advocacy. It means speaking truth to power and working tirelessly to ensure that we do everything we can to enable a transition to a liveable future that is just.

THE STORY – Laudato Si’ Week Highlights and Season of Creation Planning

Laudato Si’ Week, 2021, was an intense week of activities, announcements and learning opportunities. Of special note to highlight is the GCCM launch of the Healthy People Healthy Planet petition. Individuals are encouraged to sign and share the petition, and there is a separate signature category for Catholic organizations wishing to take a leadership role in amplifying the petition.  Signatures will be delivered to global leaders at the COP 15 Biodiversity Conference in October and the COP 26 Climate Change Conference in November. https://thecatholicpetition.org/

FREE registration for #LiveLaudatoSi Learning Webinar: In Solidarity with Migrants

Date: March 10, 2021, 3:30 (EDT)
Location: On-line webinar
Register:  GCCM Canada Webinar: In Solidarity with Migrants
Contact: Agnes Richard · [email protected]

Faith & the Common Good (FCG) is a national, interfaith charitable network dedicated to supporting diverse faith and spiritual communities contribute to greener, healthier, more resilient neighbourhoods. The Global Catholic Climate Movement – Canada chapter (GCCM Canada), a program of FCG, hosts an interactive website, offers educational webinars, and connects members through quarterly newsletters for the advancement of values expressed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’: on care for our common home.  GCCM Canada is initiating the Catholic Eco-Investment Accelerator, a one year undertaking to encourage Catholic institutions, organizations and private investors to follow Pope Francis’ call for a shift to an Ecological Economy.

“Advent is an incessant call to hope: it reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate end, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.” Pope Francis, Nov 29, 2020.

Advent is also the season of anticipation and preparation.  We at GCCM Canada are filled with all of these feelings this year! But the strongest of these is hope, and that comes directly from you!

Over 100 people registered for our Season of Creation webinar A JUST TRANSITION.

Thank you for participating! Read more about key take-away messages from both presentations and find resources that will support your efforts to address the Laudato Si’ Action Platform Goals. 

In celebration of the SEASON OF CREATION, September 1 - October 4

“In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good immediately becomes a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters.” LS 178

Date: September 16, 2020, 1:30 (EDT)
Location: On-line webinar

Register: https://www.faithcommongood.org/gccm_canada_season_of_creation_just_transition_gccm_webinar
Contact: Agnes Richard · [email protected]

In Celebration of Laudato Si' Week
Join us for a FREE Webinar

#LiveLaudatoSi Canada Learning Webinar:
Women of Faith EcoLeaders

Celebrates 5th Anniversary of Laudato Si'

“I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone...” Pope Francis, Laudato Si’(14)

By CJ Martin and  Agnes Richard

Recorded February 19, 2020

Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us.” Pope Francis, 159 Laudato Si’

Learn how Canadian Catholics can act in support and solidarity with Indigenous and Youth environmental leaders.

Purpose: To introduce three dynamic young Canadian women who are defending land, water, culture, and our future. Hanna Edenshaw of the Haida Gwaii Nation, Sadie-Phoenix Lavoie an Anishinaabe Two-Spirit from Sagkeeng First Nation and Rebecca Rathbone will share their experiences, the projects they are currently working on and how we can support them. We will also be discussing the disproportionate impact that climate change and unsustainable resource extraction have on Indigenous Communities in Canada and elsewhere.

 Watch and listen to webinar (1 hour, 04 minutes)