Pope Francis asks Catholics to focus on praying for our common home from Sept. 1 to Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi – a “Season of Creation” during which we thank God for the amazing wonder and gift of creation, and we focus our efforts to protect our planet for ourselves and future generations.
The theme for the 2022 Season of Creation is “Listen to the Voice of Creation.”
This Season of Creation, consider reading the pope’s 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home.”
Resources, prayers and information about Catholic teaching on the environment can be found online at www.laudatosimovement.org and www.usccb.org/environment.
In addition, the website of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, www.laudatosiactionplatform.org, promoted by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has guidance and resources so that we all might build a better future together.
— Joseph Purello
CHARLOTTE — Hundreds of Catholic families from across western North Carolina joined Bishop Peter Jugis and priests, seminarians and women religious Friday night at "Catholic Night" at the Charlotte Knights.
The Sept. 9 baseball game at Truist Field is the final diocese-wide social event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Charlotte.
The evening started with a special first pitch thrown out by Sister Lucia Palma of the Daughters of the Virgin Mother of Gastonia. Sister Lucia “bested” one of the diocese’s seminarians who played baseball for Belmont Abbey College in a recent pitching contest at the 18th annual Eucharistic Congress last month.
Tom Savoy, choir master of St. Joseph College Seminary, provided musical entertainment featuring a barbershop quartet-style singing everyone’s favorite baseball jingle, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”
There was also a special Diocese of Charlotte 50th anniversary video presentation and Carolina Catholic Media Network broadcast live from the stadium.
The Charlotte Knights lost to the Nashville Sounds 9-1, and the evening was capped off with a fireworks display.
— Photos by Alex Cason Photography and SueAnn Howell
