Welcome to CommonSpirit Health’s Celebration of the Season of Creation
The annual Season of Creation begins Sept. 1 with the Day of Prayer for Creation, and closes Oct. 4 with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology. However, the call to care for Earth and all the beings we share it with never ends.
On this page, you can learn how members of our CommonSpirit family are caring for Earth, our common home.
Reflections, Videos and More
From Our Participating Congregations
The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, OH, found a way to create a year-round garden because hunger is not a seasonal problem. See the video.
The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Fargo, ND, have a long history of attending to our Earth home. They pray and work for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The sisters share this guide to SDG6, Water and Sanitation. View the guide.
The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Bardstown, KY, created the Care for our Common Home initiative to help intensify efforts to address the destruction of natural resources and the ecological and environmental crisis. Watch a video about the program and visit its website
More Resources
Sixteen U.S. congregations of Dominican sisters have pooled more than $46 million to establish an investment funds initiative to finance solutions that address climate change and assist communities most at risk. Read the article
The Adrian Dominican Sisters offer special Rosary meditations for the Season of Creation, which help us reflect on the importance of human dignity and the value of respecting creation. View the Rosary meditations
More Resources
Jubilee Time for the Earth: A Catholic Liturgical Guide for the Season of Creation 2020. View the guide.
The Healing Power of Love in Action: Creation Care in a Time of Pandemic and Partisanship” from the Catholic Climate Covenant. Learn More.
FY19 Sustainability Report
Common Spirit Health’s FY19 Sustainability Report includes ways we have acted on our mission and values to promote the health of Earth. We’re proud of the work we’ve done toward climate resilience, but realize there is much more to do. We hope the report inspires you with what’s possible and what we’re accomplishing together.
Our 2030 Energy and Sustainability Goals*
We pursue these goals together in the spirit of love for our common home.
- Decrease energy consumption 25% (as measured in kBTUs/square foot)
- Decrease water consumption 25% (as measured in gallons/square foot)
- Increase use of renewable energy 20%
- Decrease greenhouse gas emissions 40%
- Design new hospitals at 15% below current energy efficiency standards
*Based on a 2019 baseline
