NEW YORK – The Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has launched a Creation Care Toolkit with the goal of helping individuals and parishes take immediate action to care for God’s Creation. The Toolkit, as announced by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America in his Encyclical for September 1st, is available now at www.goarch.org/en/society/ecology.
In his most recent encyclical for the Feast of Indiction and the Day of Protection of the Environment, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Bartholomew writes, “The ecological culture of the Orthodox faith is the realization of its Eucharistic vision of creation, summarized and expressed in its church life and practice. This is the Orthodox Church’s eternal message on the issue of ecology. … Adhering to this tradition, the Mother Church calls upon its Archdioceses and Metropolises, as well as its parishes and monasteries throughout the world, to develop initiatives, coordinate projects, organize conferences and activities that foster environmental awareness and sensitivity, so that our faithful may realize that the protection of the natural environment is the spiritual responsibility of each and every one of us.”
The Creation Care Toolkit offers easy to find Sunday School lesson plans, videos, articles, vespers service and more. These resources have been designed for use by the parishes and communities to begin their own Creation Care activities. For more information please contact the Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations at 212.570.3593.
