live simply
LAUDATO SI'?
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical (a letter) written by Pope
Francis in June 2015 and addressed not only to all
Catholics, but to everyone in the world. Laudato Si’ – On
the Care of our Common Home, is a real challenge to us
all. Pope Francis teaches us that a right relationship with
the Earth and the whole of creation is as much part of
the Church’s moral teaching as a right relationship with
God and our neighbour. Laudato Si’ urges us to change
our lifestyle, to treat nature with respect, to be deeply
aware of the interconnectedness of all God’s creation
and to live simply and without wastefulness.
Children's Laudato Si'
Pope Francis has written a letter addressed to every person on the planet, asking us all to protect the earth. Will you play your part to protect our common home?
There are resources to use like a song with lyrics, a poster and a colouring in sheet.
See the animation and all the resources by clicking the more info button.
Small simple ideas
We started by sharing our ideas about what it meant to live simply.
Livesimply Progress Survey
Thank you so much for the wonderful response to the Livesimply survey. 102 families took part with 89% saying they are greener than a year ago. The full results can be found by clicking the image above. You can also read all the eco-resolutions that were made from practical actions such as ‘stop buying water in plastic bottles for the children’ to lifestyle aspirations such as ‘turn a brighter shade of green’!
Living Simply - What to Watch
Now that we’re hibernating due to the decreasing temperatures and the COVID restrictions, the Live Simply team have compiled a list of resources to help us all understand the current climate crisis and how we can live greener, simpler lives. Click the image above, which will take you to the list. They’re suitable for all the family. We hope you enjoy watching them.
Plant a Tree
We would like to encourage you to plant a tree. As well as fighting climate change, trees are essential for wildlife providing food and shelter. Why not plant a tree in celebration of an event? A baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, anniversary…? We’d love to put a photo of your new tree on our parish website so please send a photo to livesimply@olchurch.org.uk The Woodland Trust gives lots of tree planting advice: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/why-plant-trees/
Trees planted by parishioners so far…
Juniper
Acer
Cherry
Buddleia
Plum
Green Energy Survey
Thank you to all the families who have responded to the green energy survey. It’s wonderful that many families are already on a green tariff and that so many are happy to investigate changing to more sustainable energy. The results of the survey are in the images below (click to enlarge).
Join The Climate Coalition’s Valentine Campaign
The idea is that you make a green heart and on it put something you love and want to protect from climate change. And by wearing a green heart you can start climate conversations encouraging others to get involved and think about how they can act to protect creation.
The Climate Coalition has 130 members including CAFOD and the RSPB. Both have lots of resources on their websites with activities for all the family.
https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Climate/Share-a-green-heart
And don’t forget to send a green heart to your MP! It’s a great way to show them you care about protecting our beautiful world from climate change.
Speak Out
CAFOD’s new campaign, Reclaim Our Common Home, is a response to Pope Francis’s call for a new way of thinking about the world and urging us to take an active part in renewing our troubled societies by embracing the universal values of solidarity and fraternity. As we seek to plan a world after the pandemic, CAFOD is urging us all to tackle the other challenges that plague our common home: the pandemic of hunger, the pandemic of poverty and the pandemic of runaway climate change. Please join this campaign by signing the petition urging the Prime Minister to make sure communities hardest hit by the climate emergency are listened to at COP26:
