Who Gives A Crap

From Flushing to Tanzania, we all do. That’s why switching your toilet paper is a small action that can have a profound impact. Choose from bamboo or recycled materials without sacrificing quality. Bamboo needs little water to grow very quickly and it produces lower carbon emissions. Recycled paper saves trees and reduces landfill waste. In addition, many of the companies producing these green alternatives go beyond the product itself and offer two and three ply benefits. For example, Who Gives A Crap commits to plastic-free packaging and they donate 50% of their profits to organizations that build toilets and ensure access to clean water.

”Living with latrines at home allows us to live with dignity and good health.” Araia Tamayo, Nigeria

If you have a tip for not wasting food or if you have an APP that helps you care for our common home, please tell us about it.  Email us at stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com

Click here to go to our page on the website for St. Francis Church.

Our Journey to Baptism: A Mother’s Witness to her daughter’s entrance into the Church

Hello. My name is Claire Kramer Mills. Thank you to Fr. Joe and Joe Nuzzi for inviting me to reflect on being initiated into the Catholic faith—from the viewpoint of a parent. I’m a mom who, along with my husband Craig, supported our daughter Darcy through her RCIA preparation.

Darcy’s journey began over a decade ago, when my husband and I were married by Father Andrew Reitz, the former pastor of St. Francis. My husband is Jewish, and I remember the warmth of the friars when I told them about our engagement, a warmth that doesn’t always accompany interfaith marriage. We introduced Darcy to the Catholic faith from infancy and over time, as she attended Mass, prayed, and participated in service activities she expressed an interest in being baptized.

Darcy’s preparation for the sacraments here at St. Francis was a gift. Each week, we attended Mass as a group of 18 candidates. We broke open the Gospel together during small group discussions under the guidance of Joe Nuzzi, with frequent visits from Fr. Joe. These sessions and our Tuesday night classes enriched our understanding of the Old and New Testaments. We learned about the historical context of biblical writings, and the classes offered time for us, as a group and individually, to reflect on what it truly means to “love one another,” Jesus’ commandment to us all.

Darcy saw this commandment reflected in the way our group of catechumens supported each another. She was the only child in the group but felt warmly embraced and supported by the RCIA team and fellow candidates. They encouraged and answered her questions and were wholly inclusive. She also felt the incredible support of this faith community, as you prayed for us and cheered us on. Thank you! Both Darcy and I are looking forward to continuing our faith journey with the community at St. Francis, supporting others and sharing our gifts beyond these doors to put Jesus’ commandment into practice in our world.

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Too Good To Go

Food waste is a huge contributor to the climate crisis and we in the U.S. are the worst offenders.  An estimated one-third of our food goes uneaten.  What is also wasted is the land, water, labor, and energy it took to bring the food to us.  Although much waste occurs beyond our control, there are things we can do.  Preventing food waste is one of the easiest and most powerful actions you can take.

Pay attention to what food goes to waste on your watch.  What changes could you make?  Go food shopping with a list that includes only items and their amounts that you know you will eat.  Read up on the best way to store food, especially fruits and vegetables.  Start a freezer container of odds and ends that can be used later to make soup stock.

The Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov is an excellent resource.  You might also like the app Too Good To Go where you’ll find food establishments in your neighborhood who, rather than throw food away, will sell their surplus to you at the end of the day at a fraction of the cost.

“Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  Margaret Mead

If you have a tip for not wasting food or if you have an APP that helps you care for our common home, please tell us about it.  Email us at stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com

For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis or to share your own tip of the week, email: stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com

Click here to go to our page on the website for St. Francis Church.

The First Language of God

Saint Benedict, whose feast we celebrate on July 11^th, was an early environmentalist.  He wrote his Rule of Saint Benedict but in this case the word rule doesn’t mean law.  It comes from the Latin regula or schedule so really it’s a little book for his monks about how they should spend their days and he recommends regular periods of silence.  For Benedict though, silence didn’t mean just not talking.  It meant not laughing at a joke aimed at hurting others.  It meant speaking thoughtfully and carefully when we did speak.  It meant listening.  In fact, the first word of the Rule is “Listen”.  This week, see if you can put some silence and listening into your regula.

“Listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”  Job 33:33

In the spirit of synodality and in anticipation of 2025, the 800^th Anniversary of St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures and the 10^th year of the Laudato Si Movement, we are listening, and we want to hear from you.  Spend some time with the questions below and tell us what you hear before July 25^th.  Email stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com.  Laudato Si Circles around the world are doing exactly this.  When we say we’re a spirit-led movement, we mean it.

WHAT MOMENTS HAVE I DEEPLY FELT THAT I AM RESPONDING TO THE CALL TO CARE FOR CREATION?

WHAT DO I SENSE THE CREATOR IS CALLING ME TO, HERE AND NOW?

For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis or to share your own tip of the week, email: stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com

Click here to go to our page on the website for St. Francis Church.

The friars and staff wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day!

Holiday Schedule for Thursday, July 4, 2024:

Mass:  12 Noon

There are no confessions; the church offices and the St. Francis Adult Education Center will be closed.

Our regular schedule is in effect for Friday, July 5th.

Art for Our Sake

You still have time to catch the Coal + Ice exhibition at the Asia Society Museum on view through August 11^th.  This is a Photography and Video exhibition that brings together artists from around the world to help us visualize the climate crisis – causes, consequences, and creative solutions.

The Museum partnered with over 30 organizations to bring this to us and many of these organizations’ efforts are ongoing such as the Climate Wall at the American Museum of Natural History, the Billion Oyster Project, Brooklyn Grange, and WALTER which stands for Working And Learning Together Electronics Recycling.  To learn about all these organizations visit asiasociety.org/coalandice .

The Museum is located on 70^th Street and Park Avenue and is open Tue thru Sun 11-5.  Admission is Free on Fridays and otherwise $15 or less.

“These collaborations aim to inspire deeper engagement and meaningful dialogue on how the climate crisis affects our global and local communities.”  from the exhibition brochure

For more information about the Laudato Si Circle here at St. Francis or to share your own tip of the week, email: stfrancislaudatosi@gmail.com

Click here to go to our page on the website for St. Francis Church.