This year’s Season of Creation – the celebration of prayer and action to appreciate and care for our planet – is well under way, running from 1 September until 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi.
We use this time to think about how we can make a difference when it comes to caring for our Common Home – from small, personal changes to widespread campaigning.
At Jesuit Missions, we see the impact climate change and environmental degradation has on our partners around the world: farmers in South Sudan coping with periods of drought, or communities in Madagascar affected by flash flooding, for example.
In the news recently, we’ve seen the devastating effect of glacial flooding in Nepal, while reports of a ‘supersized’ El Niño – a natural phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that affects wind patterns – means many across the globe will be at risk of facing extreme weather events over the coming months.
All of this shows that we have a responsibility to act to help protect our environment – whether that be raising awareness of climate issues, taking steps to reduce our own carbon footprint, or lobbying elected officials to use their power to make a genuine difference.
We’ve put together a host of resources for Season of Creation, with tailored tools to support groups of all ages – you can find these here.
And for 2026, the theme is ‘Living Water’. Drawn from Ezekiel 47: 1-12, it recalls how barren landscapes were transformed into flourishing ecosystems.
For this Season of Creation, we are invited to think about how we can responsibly make use of water, consider how many living on the margins still cannot access regular, safe water sources, and use it as a time to focus on renewal, both in terms of our relationship with the earth and our daily habits in general.
