As founding executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization Catholic Climate Covenant, Dan Misleh is dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship among Catholics, and helping to educate faithful about Catholic social teaching around caring for creation.
“With God, all humanity is tasked with being co-creators and caretakers in God’s Kingdom. We are called to be stewards of the earth to care for it, not conquer it,” Misleh said. “When we, as Catholics, adopt sustainable living practices, live more simply and in keeping with a finite planet, work alongside others in our Catholic communities, and embrace Church teachings on this topic, we become truly good stewards of the earth and connect with our faith’s roots all the way back to Genesis.”
Misleh will be making his second visit to the Diocese of Camden for a free program – titled “To Hope and Act with Creation” – on Sept. 24 at Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Collingswood. The event will start at 6:30 p.m. at Saint John Church, 809 Park Ave. For more information and to register, call (856) 583-2910 or email cmcnicholssj@yahoo.com.
Dr. Michael J. Sims, director of the diocesan Office of Life & Justice Ministries – which is co-sponsoring the program – said that the evening was scheduled to occur during the Season of Creation, designated by Pope Francis as Sept. 1 to Oct. 4.
“The evening rests on the fierce urgency to address climate change not as a matter of enlightened self-interest, but as a matter of the heart and a faith that demands, in the words of Pope Francis, an ‘ecological conversion,’” Sims said. “Humankind’s impact on the environment is largely misunderstood or not fully comprehended. Dan Misleh will lead a discussion on the theological, ethical and practical implications of technology, politics, economic disparities, greed and inaction to address climate change through a series of thought-provoking questions for discussion and prayerful reflection.”
He added, “It will be an evening grounded in hope – that we are capable and can do something as individuals for the future of all humanity.”
Misleh’s organization was founded in 2006 with support from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and the nonprofit offers a range of activities and programs for adults and youth alike.
“Our efforts are deeply rooted in the Catholic tradition of teaching on creation, ecology and social justice,” he explained. “While concern for the environment and the vulnerable has been part of the Catholic mission since its inception, recent Popes — Saint John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and notably Pope Francis — have emphasized the urgent need for action on climate change. The U.S. bishops have been advocating for this cause since 1991 with their statement, ‘Renewing the Earth.’”
Misleh said he hopes to use his Sept. 24 visit to the Diocese of Camden both to explore the spiritual aspects of the topic, and to provide attendees with practical ideas.
“I will contend that the climate crisis demands that each of us engage in whatever way that makes sense to us in our personal, family and community life,” he said. “I’ll share some stories about what others have done, and provide some very practical things they can do as individuals and within their communities, including in their parishes and other groups to which they belong.”
Sims said he sees the evening as an opportunity for faithful to engage deeper on the topic, and shared his hope that it may prompt further discussion and action.
“It is my hope that people who attend this evening with be informed, challenged and uplifted,” he said, “and that this will be a renewed start to many more conversations and actions directed toward the care of our common home.”
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
