“Consider that God, your Benefactor, is present in all creatures and in yourself. If you look at every step of the visible creation, in all you will meet God.”
St. Ignatius Loyola
St. Andrew’s Care for Creation Ministry, along with other parishioners, has created a Laudato Si’ Action Plan for the parish, outlining actions that we can take over the next seven years to respond to the “cry of the earth” and the “cry of the poor.” Please join us! Contact Tom Hinchen at hinchenthomas@gmail.com.
The Care for Creation Ministry is inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home). Using the See-Judge-Act paradigm, this ministry provides resources for parishioners to reflect on God’s Creation; promotes discussion of Church teachings regarding the call to protect Earth and its living creatures; and works to make sure that St. Andrew the Apostle parish observes ecologically sound practices while bringing the message of Laudato Si’ to the larger community.
All are welcome to join! (contact: Tom Hinchen, thincbrooklyn@aol.com)
Visit our Blog “Sharing Laudato Si’”
Click the link below to find our blog on Tumblr.
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In the News!
Our Parish Garden, July 2025
Composting in NYC a Blessing for the Environment
A St. Andrew’s parishioner is featured in a Diocesan Currents News video about composting. See it here! https://netny.tv/episodes/currents/compost-enforcement-new-york-city/
Aired April 2, 2025
Bay Ridge Church Dedicates Garden during Laudato Si’ Week
Our St. Kateri Habitat Garden features one way in which St. Andrew’s follows the call of Pope Francis to “care for our common home”. The flowers we have planted will add beauty to our garden, attract pollinators, and honor St. Kateri Tekakwitha. The Diocesan TV program Currents News sent a reporter to highlight our efforts to bring the Good News to Bay Ridge.
Aired May 22, 2024
Care for Creation interview on NET TV
Parishioner Tom Hinchen was interviewed by NetNY, the Diocesan TV outlet. The video explores the potential environmental benefits to the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays–not just during Lent but all year round.
Aired April 10, 2024
Birding Excursion to Owls Head Park – April 22, 2024
On Earth Day, April 22, 2024, the Care for Creation Ministry along with students and parents from the Religious Education Program, took a birding excursion to Owls Head Park along with Patty Aakre from New York Audubon. We spotted at least 10 species of birds and learned a little about their habits and habitats.
St. Andrew’s has created a pollinator/wildflower garden to be registered as a St. Kateri Habitat with the St. Kateri Conservation Center (kateri.org). Among the flowers already in place are butterfly milkweed, coreopsis, bee balm, mountain mint, black-eyed Susan, aster, anise hyssop, obedient plant, and columbine, along with red and white clover. Many of them have already been labeled, so check them out!
These native plants will beautify our front yard, attract pollinators, and keep our garden free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
