Religious Outreach | Earth Day Network

Programs and Events

Earth Day: Something We Can All Believe In

Earth Day Network’s Communities of Faith Climate Campaign educates leaders and members of religious communities to bring climate change education and opportunities for civic activism to those associated with religious life, self-described population of more than 250 Americans.

Earth Day Sunday 2009

For the third year in a row, Earth Day Network is engaging thousands of Catholic Parishes around the United States for Earth Day Sunday, a celebration that reminds faith communities to respect and honor God’s gift of Creation.

Here are a few of the many ways that parishes can participate in Earth Day Sunday:

Deliver a homily or sermon that explains Catholic’s moral responsibility to protect Creation
Offer intentions at Mass for an equitable solution to climate change
Sign our 2009 Pulpit Pledge and join leaders of other faiths in their commitment to discuss climate change as a moral issue at Mass at least once a year
Write or record your homily and send it to us so we can post it on Earth Day TV
Organize a parish-wide program to help weatherize the homes of parishioners or community members, with special attention given to low income parishioners

For resources on reflection and prayer, see here.

We would like to hear back from you about your plans! Please download and fill out the Earth Day Sunday 2009 Questionnaire and send it back to Susan Bass, at the fax number 202-518-8794.

The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change Launches the Catholic Climate Covenant

On Earth Day, April 22, the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change is launching a unique and unprecedented initiative to demonstrate a common Catholic commitment to care for God’s creation and to stand with the poor and vulnerable people in the United States and around the world facing the impacts of a changing climate.

At the center of the Covenant will be The St. Francis Pledge calling Catholic individuals, groups and institutions to make a serious commitment to pray and reflect on the need to care for God’s creation; learn about and educate others on the moral dimensions of climate change; assess our participation in contributing to climate change; and advocate Catholic principles in climate change discussions and decisions, especially when they impact the poor and vulnerable.

For more information, visit www.catholicsandclimatechange.org.

40th Anniversary Interfaith Freedom Seder 2009: A Seder for the Earth

Forty years ago, in Washington DC, people of many cultures, faiths, and races came together on the first anniversary of the death of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., to honor his memory and the freedom struggles of that day by celebrating the first Freedom Seder for Passover. This year, The Shalom Center will sponsor Fortieth Anniversary Freedom Seders, highlighted by one in Washington, D.C. on the evening of March 29th that will be co-sponsored by local groups. Since the most profound issue facing the world today is the danger of climate catastrophe --- "global scorching" --- the Fortieth Anniversary Freedom Seders will especially address that challenge through the presence in the Passover story of the Ten Plagues. Visit the Shalom's Center web site for more information.

Earth Day 2008

After the success achieved on Earth Day 2007, when EDN was successful in creating 12,000 sermons and religious events through outreach to leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faiths, we took it to the next level for Earth Day 2008.

In coordination with the National Council of Churches, the Religious Coalition on Creation Care and other inter-faith organizations, EDN integrated faith based Earth Day observances into nation wide Earth Day 2008 actions. We activated 500,000 parishioners in areas of the country that have not responded to the climate crises in support of climate legislation that invests in renewable energy and the creation of green jobs and helps low-income Americans transition to the new green economy.

In light of the opportunity provided by Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States this year, Earth Day Network reached out to Roman Catholic parishes across the country, inviting them to participate in Earth Day Sunday, April 20, 2008.

Our fax campaign reached out to thousands of parishes, and the response was overwhelmingly encouraging. Many churches pledged to join us for Earth Day Sunday by including climate change and equitable sustainability in their homilies, post information in their weekly bulletins, and/or offer intentions for the environment during Mass; others filled us in on their year-round parish green programs.

two Earth Day on the National Mall in Washington DC also carried an interfaith message of care for the planet, with Reverend Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals, Rabbi Warren Stone of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Farah El-Sharif of the Georgetown University Muslim Students Association, and Paul Maus of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Illinois Synagogue Receives LEED Platinum Certification

The Jewish Reconstructionist Synagogue in Evanston, Illinois, has just become the first house of worship in North America to receive the prestigious Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ranking from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Rabbi Brant Rosen said: "More importantly, this singular accomplishment represents our commitment as Jews to value of 'Bal Tashchit:' the sacred sustainability of our world. Our new building, five years in the planning and building, is an outgrowth of our faith and dedication to being worthy stewards of God's creation: our magnificent earth. Being the first house of worship in North America to receive this designation confirms the spiritual rewards of pursuing a congregation building where faith, religious values, and thoughtful and innovative environmental construction are mutually reinforcing. "

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