Creation Care Ministry
Creation Care Ministry
Video of the Laudato Si' Gardens in the Archdiocese, including Saint Clement Parish's
The Creation Care Ministry encourages our parish community to embrace our responsibility as stewards of God’s creation. Inspired by the message of Laudato Si', we reflect on the beauty and abundance of the Earth as a gift and promote thoughtful, faith-driven actions to protect and sustain it. Through initiatives like the Laudato Si' Gardens and the Laudato Si' Action Platform, we invite all parishioners to engage in this vital mission of environmental justice and care. Contact Christa Kingsley to learn more.
All parishioners are encouraged to visit the Laudato Si Action Platform to begin their work in caring for all of creation.
Download this Creation Care Bingo for a fun activity!
See The Plaza weekly e-newsletter for Creation Care tips and more!
Saint Clement’s Laudato Si’ Garden
Visit our parish’s Laudato Si’ Garden, located just north of the Orchard St. Chapel entrance. We invite you to visit it to watch it grow and attract birds, bees and butterflies. Learn more about Laudato Si’ Gardens here.
The Stepping Stone Project: A Journey of Peace and Creation
One of our projects during our May 2025 Service Day included adding some meaningful and beautiful stepping stones and landscaping to our parish's Laudato Si' Garden.
The Stepping Stone Project began during our school-wide Community Service Week in 2022, a time when we were still limited in our ability to serve off-site due to the Covid pandemic. Amid these restrictions, the war in Ukraine had just begun, prompting students to seek meaningful ways to promote peace and hope through their service.
With the school side of community service organized through the art department, Allie Spicer—then the art teacher and now the library and digital media teacher—designed two art-based projects to give students a voice in these uncertain times.
Our Kindergarten through 4th-grade students created a vibrant ribbon installation in front of the school entitled Pray for Peace, composed of blue and yellow ribbons as a symbol of solidarity and hope. Meanwhile, students in grades 5 through 8 crafted two sets of mosaic stepping stones to be installed on the church grounds.
The first set features the word “peace” in 15 different languages—Arabic, Greek, Italian, French, German, Ukrainian, English, Russian, Latin, Spanish, Polish, Swahili, Japanese, Hebrew, and the universal peace sign—representing the global longing for harmony.
The second set of mosaic stepping stones illustrates the seven days of Creation and was designed to enhance the Laudato Si garden. Students learned the intricate art of mosaic tiling, assembling images and text to convey deeper meaning. With the invaluable help of three dedicated parish volunteers, the mosaics were grouted, polished, and prepared for installation.
The parish staff and Creation Care Committee collaborated to develop a landscape design that would honor and showcase the students’ work. A foundation was constructed by the parish’s Buildings and Grounds crew, and during Saint Clement's spring Service Day 2025, a team of volunteers came together to complete this inspiring joint effort between school and parish.
The final mosaics can now be viewed and enjoyed in the Laudato Si garden—a lasting tribute to peace, faith, and creation. Thank you to all who made this possible!
