….Creation Care Ministry is calling all Catholics in our diocese this year to give up or reduce use of what are known as “single-use” plastics. We’re hoping that this habit sticks! How might this transform your relationship with the Lord? Read on to learn about the harmful impact plastic pollution is having on the most vulnerable and how your actions can make a difference while enriching your faith life….
The Story of Plastic Film Screening
Join us for this Emmy award-winning movie March 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the diocesan Pastoral Center, 3888 Paducah Drive, San Diego 92117. We’ll provide drinks and popcorn! Register for this free event here.
What Can You Do?
This Lent, RE-volutionize your habit, starting simply with single-use plastics. Here are some suggestions for giving up SUPs:
REturn to old ways: Much of what we can do is what our grandparents and great-grandparents did all the time!
REfuse single-use plastics whenever possible. Take cloth bags to the grocery store for bagging produce.
REduce purchasing plastic items or items with excessive plastic packaging. Try to buy whole foods and cook from scratch.
REuse when you can’t avoid.
REpeat this message to your friends and family.
REsist SUPs in restaurants or other establishments and explain your preference for non-plastic items such as to-go boxes, straws, cups, etc.
During Lent, we are called to REpent, or REthink. We cannot change the past, but we are always called to become something new. Pope Francis says when we do these little daily actions “for the right reasons,” out of love for our brothers and sisters and in an effort to care for the gift of creation, we demonstrate “an act of love which expresses our own dignity.” Taking on a sacrifice or special commitment during Lent is meant to draw us closer to Jesus by inviting Him into our everyday life. Why not use the pervasiveness of plastic as a ubiquitous reminder of our call to be in relationship with our Lord?
Send pictures of your family or parish taking on this “Giving Up SUPs Challenge” to cslentz@sdcatholic.org. We will post them on our Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Story from the Southern Cross
And if your cloth bag has a pride flag on it, the Creation Care Ministry will give you bonus points for virtue signaling twice over.
keep taking your oral contraceptives
BUT for God’s sake, don’t use plastic bags !!!
Notice how the cynics react as if the recyclers are committing a mortal sin.
They probably are not.
They may be faithful to the Church in all things.
They may already be responsible consumers.
Why do the cynics have a need to do this?
Why do you need to put someone down or invent sins for someone who tells you to do what Catholics used to do all the time?
Are you afraid that someone might be better than you? You are supposed to think that everyone is better than you. That is in the Bible.
You might want to reread the Lord’s words about straining out the gnat and swallowing the camel, or about tending first to the weightier matters of the Law, while not leaving the smaller details undone.
While not leaving the smaller details undone…
This lady is doing a good job.
It’s not her fault if others in that diocese are not.
I’m offended that in McElroy’s diocese Catholic users of plastic are being made to feel unwelcome in the church. The hurtful, exclusionary language declaring that plastic users must change their ways is contrary to Jesus’ example of loving and accepting everyone, and being compassionate toward them. Where is the pastoral accompaniment for plastic users? Now Catholic plastic-using people have to fear that when they go to Mass they might hear unwelcoming words of hate about their consumer lifestyle preferences. For such hateful, exclusionary words to be printed in the diocesan newspaper is a sign that the church has much work to do in improving to become a safe, non-judgmental place for everyone.
Why is the diocese not calling for dialogue with plastic users? The church needs to hear their stories and learn from them without judging their choices. Perhaps the San Diego Diocese can write a blessing for people who use plastic as a sign that plastic users are also welcome and valued in the Church.
Really… would the diocese dare print an article saying that LGBT people need to change their ways with the same directness with which this article about avoiding plastic was written? The condescending, finger-wagging tone taken towards plastic users would never be tolerated if it were directed towards LGBT ideology and practices.
The diocese’s inconsistency and political posturing are abundantly clear.
@dialog I assume your comment is pure satire. It is truly hilarious and a break from all the bitterness on this site. Thanks for a good laugh!
Why the Church is the way it is. People are superficial and immature.
For myself, I ride my bike to work, I try to the best of my ability to re-use my grocery bags. I compost, but I take umbrage by these people telling me to re-use my plastic bags. Even though it’s true, it’s no big deal, there’s no real social cost to me, not like being pro-life and pro-family. re-using plastic bags is a mute issue. It’s what society is telling us to do, No, it’s what we are being coursed to do.
When it comes to being chaste, and being a man, and being pro-life and saying that marriage is between a man and a women, and saying that artificial birth control is intrinsically evil,, and we need to sensor phonography on the internet, now there’s a fight, there is something to give my life for.
For all those who voted for Joseph R. Biden because of his environmental policies just realize we are spending billions of dollars on the most environmental damaging activities in the world, having a war, and that his policies are fostering war. So, for me, yes I am an environmentalist, but the biggest issue for me is what is killing more people than any thing else and that is abortion. What’s most counter cultural right now is standing up for life.
Consider transgenderism as an environmental issue. If you are truly an environmentalist you will oppose transgenderism, particularly in young people, what a waste of vast resources that take away from healing people and go to dismembering them and making them sick and polluting the world with hormonal medications that they pee into our waters for the rest of their lives.
Yes, I will re-use my plastic bags, but I won’t promote or welcome people who chose out of their own lustful desires to destroy my environment and culture. We must turn from sin, be courageous and say repent and be saved. So I think this is what’s going on in peoples minds. It’s what is going on in my mind and heart.
Wheels
There us something viscerally enraging in having the smugly self-righteous wagging a finger at you and telling you to do something you have been quietly doing since the last millenium. And this from the office of a Bishop who closed our churches during Covid and summarily crushed the Latin Mass. (I am not, BTW, a Latin Mass-goer. I just don’t like casual cruelty.) “Why not use the pervasiveness of plastic as a ubiquitous reminder of our call to be in our relationship with our Lord?” “REpeat this message to your friends and family.” For this the martyrs died? What is WRONG with you people?
It hurts your pride?
Lord, make it a fatal blow.
Your comment is uncalled-for.
It was also amazingly irrelevant to anything I said, but thanks!
Are you Catholic?
SouthCoast is 100% correct! Great post! You must take pride in the True Catholic Faith– not in re-using your plastic bags! (Although that is a smart idea, to protect the environment.)
Pride is one of the seven deadly sins.
You have no concept of the sin of “pride.”
“There us something viscerally enraging in having the smugly self-righteous wagging a finger at you and telling you to do something you have been quietly doing since the last millenium.”
That is pride. That feeling of not liking to be told something you already know.
That is pride. And also anger-getting ticked off about something so minor.
That is pride. The need to label and call names and put down someone who said something (not even to you but in an article) that you did not like.
Pride is one of the seven deadly sins.
Saints have said that your pride dies 15 minutes after you do.
It is the sin of Satan that caused the fall.
It’s opposing virtue is humility.
This is a good idea. Yet, I’m not sure how it could transform my relationship with the Lord. I would recommend daily prayer, reading Scripture and receiving the sacraments (along with good spiritual reading) for that. I think this is more a matter of good stewardship of the only planet God has given us and not a matter of faith enrichment per say. Many good people, including unbelievers, strive to care for creation. My thoughts.
I don’t know if we can endure much more of this bovine scatology. This claptrap has obviously been given a blessing by her McBoss, who must think we’re all simpletons.
I have no idea whether our bishop believes we are simpletons or not. But, based on his minion’s current and previous pronouncements, it seems apparent that she does. Must have attended the Kamala Harris School of Addressing the Little People. Don’t know if she giggles whilst typing.
Man down.
Even if they shoot themselves in the foot, you don’t leave a fallen soldier.
Pray for him.
The Hendersonville, Tennessee, Library Director, Allan Morales, got fired for unkind mistreatment of Kirk Cameron and several others, regarding book readings for Library Story Time. The efforts of San Diego Diocese’s Catholics to protect the environment is a good cause. But I would love to also see them tackle serious issues of immorality, attacking children and families, and destroying their churches and communities. Filthy LGBT and “straight” sex-ed propaganda for children in curriculums in school classrooms, and at libraries, lewd Drag Queen book readings and performances for children, dope “hangouts” and marijuana dispensaries, etc. etc.– all should be considered for strong Catholic action and intervention, to clean-up San Diego for Christ.
As a 70 year old practicing Catholic I think it is great the Catholic Church is addressing environmental problems. In my short lifetime, I’ve witnessed much environmental degradation. We need to consider how we are impacting the lives of those who come after us. Actions to protect and restore the environment is the Christian thing to do.
Well– I am a few years older than you, and am also a devout Catholic, lifelong. Yes, there are many good causes, like cleaning up the environment. But first and foremost, our Church needs to focus on the Catholic Faith, and build up the life of Faith in her people– especially the young. Not too long ago, during Advent, a nearby parish asked me if I would like to give a huge amount (nearly $100) to attend a big Advent “open bar” and dinner, after a Mass, the Sat. night before the 1st Sun. of Advent. I replied, “No.” Then, they asked me what I might be interested in, at that parish, for an Advent celebration. Same thing happened to me, declining a big Mardi Gras celebration, at a different parish– only far costlier. I said, how about an Advent Day of Recollection, a retreat, a lovely Advent/Christmas presentation involving families and children, a volunteer activity to help the needy, Holy Hours of Adoration, or something religious — that doesn’t cost anything, that brings parishioners together, in love of their holy Faith.
What percentage of people who attend Mass at your parish are under the age of 40?
What percentage are over the age of 70?
Sounds like your parish might be the typical Baby Boomer Sunday social club.
Parishes that want to attract young, faithful Catholics, need to celebrate reverent Masses and have substantial preaching and offer solid catechetical and faith formation programs.
Young people are already recycling. They don’t want open-bars. They want real deal Catholicism. They want chant. They want adoration. They want priests who are holy instead of trying to be talk show hosts or comedians.
I don’t need some feminista wokesplaining to me.
Over 7 years in military service to our country and she is treated like this.
One has nothing to do with the other
Who are you talking about? Is this person Catholic– and mistreated? Explain.
What say the Creation Care folks
about Human Composting?
Recently, at a book reading by Kirk Cameron, for Library Story Time at Fayetteville Public Library, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a group of Drag Queens and bizarrely-dressed sick, pervert activists walked in, and held a protest, and tried to make a big mess. Sounds like Kirk Cameron handled it well– he got the kids to laugh loudly and boo. Hope he comes to San Francisco someday. Drag Queens are now forbidden to hold shows in Arkansas on taxpayer-funded public property (schools, libraries, etc.), and minors are forbidden to attend any of their shows.