Introducing....the new “St. Francis Ministry”

The Earth is the Lord’s and all it holds.  (Psalm 24:1)

We are called by God to be stewards of all creation – not to consume, waste, and exploit God’s bounty but to protect and preserve the living world for the glory of God and future generations.  Our goal is to become a “green parish” by generating less waste, recycling, and reducing our carbon footprint.

Mission: The St. Francis Ministry fosters a deeper understanding of the sacredness of our earth as God’s creation and promotes our call to its stewardship in our personal lives and in our parish, our community, and our world.  We inform, educate, and encourage decisions that positively impact the earth and its peoples.
Contacts: For information about the St. Francis Ministry, or if you wish to become involved, contact: Betty Begley bethbeg@aol.com, 845-357-8919 orTracy Schwamb tschwamb@aol.com, 201-573-1793.

Lenten Challenge:  “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”  Presentation will be initiating a recycling program soon. As a first step, the St. Francis Ministry team will give up, for Lent, purchasing and drinking water from plastic bottles, and we will bring our own cups to parish meetings.  We encourage each of you and our Ministries to take this first step with us.

Coming Soon:  Watch for our special Earth Day Liturgies, to be followed by a Green Fair, over the weekend of April 24-25, 2010.  Our guest speaker will be Sr. Suzanne Golas, director of Waterspirit.