EcoPhilly Blog

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, June 21, 2026 The national Roadless Rule, a regulation adopted in 2001 that now protects 45 million acres of America's national forests from industrial logging and other sources of harm, is in danger. Just two weeks ago, the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted on an amendment that would repeal that rule. What’s at risk? ”Nearly one third of all national f

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, June 14, 2026 In 2019, Pennsylvania established Juneteenth (June 19), the day marking the legal end of enslavement of Black people in the United States, as a state holiday. This year, “as the U.S. commemorates Juneteenth, the nation also prepares to celebrate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. While the Declarati

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, June 7, 2026 “Ten trillion plastic pellets enter our world's oceans every year (ref). Though small, these pellets are a serious threat to our health and environment.” (U.S. PIRG - Public Interest Research Group, 5/21/26) “Exposure begins in utero and continues throughout the lifespan, with microplastics detected in everything from placentas to breast milk…. The literature sugges

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, May 31, 2026 “Wear Orange is a weekend in June dedicated to honoring the lives of people in the United States affected by gun violence and elevating the voices of advocates across the country who are demanding an end to gun violence. [Orange symbolizes the hunter’s orange worn in the woods to protect people from being shot.] Now in its 12th year, Wear Orange honors Hadiya Pendle

As stewards of our earth, keep environmental issues in mind as you cast your votes in our primary election on May 19th.

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, April 19, 2026 In celebration of Earth Day, let us recite this prayer together as a mindful people. Leader: O Holy Spirit, you hovered over the deep at the dawn of creation. You fashioned time and space itself in the initial magnificent flaring forth. You breathed life into all beings and you continue to dwell and work in all creation to sustain that life. All: Send forth

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, April 12, 2026 “Each April, Earth Month builds on the legacy of Earth Day, first held on April 22, 1970, when an estimated 20 million Americans gathered in response to growing concerns about widespread environmental damage and limited laws in place to protect clean air, clean water, public health and pollution. This surge in public awareness led to major federal action, includ

On Thursday March 5th, 45 educators gathered at Saint Joseph’s University for the first EcoPhilly Educators Workshop.

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, March 1, 2026 The endangerment finding serves as the legal basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. “The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2009 issued the endangerment finding, a scientific determination that six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, pose a danger to human health and welfare. It stemmed from a directive by t

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, February 15, 2026 The popularization of Negro History Week after its creation in 1926 was, according to the noted African American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, “the single greatest accomplishment” in the movement “for the advancement of art and literature.” This month marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of that commemoration, which in 1976 became known as Black History Month. (S

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, February 8, 2026 The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy by the Master of Alkmaar (1504), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Wikipedia Excerpts from a reflection by John Charles McAllister-Ashley of the Mercy Justice Team, 1/30/26 Over the last few months, we have watched chaos unfold in communities across the United States; news outlets, social media platforms, and some of our

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, February 1, 2026 In January 2025, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was holding roughly 40,000 people in a national network of detention centers on any given day. In just one year, this number has increased by over 75%, with a record 73,000 people being held in detention as of mid-January…. [There is also] a 2,450% increase in the number of people with no criminal

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, January 25, 2026 The special Jubilee Year of Saint Francis proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV will take place from 10 January 2026 to 10 January 2027 to mark the occasion of the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. In a January 10 letter to the ministers general of the Conference of the Franciscan Family, Leo said St. Francis' message of peace was needed now more t

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, January 18, 2026 The Social Justice Committee (SJC) has identified four priorities for this year to enable us to be more focused, collaborative, and action oriented. We will build relationships with organizations and parishes in the Northwest that address issues of housing, feeding the hungry, and immigration. We will also continue to support Fair Districts PA’s anti-gerrymander

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, January 11, 2026 Laudato Si’ ( Praised Be ) On Care for Our Common Home is the title of the Encyclical Letter written by Pope Francis in 2015. In his letter, Pope Francis draws inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi. “He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.” ( Laudato Si’ 10)

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, January 4, 2026 “In his Message for the 2026 World Day of Peace , Pope Leo XIV addresses the escalation of war, rearmament and fear in international relations, and reiterates the Church’s opposition to deterrence based on military force. He calls for disarmament, dialogue and the conversion of hearts as necessary conditions for a lasting and unarmed peace…. Pope Leo warns tha

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, December 28, 2025 “Our nation has some of the greatest environmental laws in the world — but they are only as good as their enforcement. Otherwise, they are just words on paper.” –Tim Preso, Managing Attorney, Biodiversity Defense Program “ The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the single most important shield wildlife has against extinction ” (Earthjustice, 12/12/25). “To date,

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, December 21, 2025 In the last months of his life, Pope Francis was preparing an Apostolic Exhortation on the Church’s care for the poor, Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You) , as if Christ speaks those words to each of them, saying: “You have little power,” yet “I have loved you” (Rev 3:9). Pope Leo added his own reflections to the document and issued it at the beginning of his pontif

"For almost 25 years, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has protected millions of acres of wild forest from road construction, logging and mining."

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH All of God’s Creation Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, December 7, 2025 At the United Nations’ 30th climate summit — COP30 (Council of Parties), held in Brazil from November 10-21 — world leaders from 190+ countries met to discuss action on the climate crisis. “These COPs are an important forum for world leaders to gather annually to advance action to address the global climate crisis, as they have committed to under internationa