Justice Concerns

Promoting Ecological Health

“Let us be protectors of God’s creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and the environment.” – Pope Francis, Laudato Si

In June 2018, the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) Board launched the campaign “Sowing Hope for the Planet” focused on sharing efforts of UISG member Congregations in implementing Laudato Si. At the UISG meeting in 2019, all UISG member congregations were asked to “look at the ways we have been guilty of environmental destruction and our disregard for all the consequences of it to one another and especially to poor people.”

As a response to this commitment, our Congregation agreed to take these four bold steps as we move forward as a way to “defend and care for all creation.”

  • Initiate Meatless Mondays throughout the Congregation.
  • Reduce our personal water consumption.
  • Reduce use of plastics/eliminate single use plastics.
  • Transition to alternative energy sources and gradually divest from fossil fuel use.

    • Why go meatless?

    Replacing meat with plant-based choices each Monday can offer numerous health benefits and help you take action against climate change by reducing your carbon footprint and conserving precious environmental resources.

    Do it for our planet.

    Reducing consumption of meat can help contain production of greenhouse gases that impact climate change. It can also help lessen the demand for precious environmental resources such as land, water, and energy.

    Learn more: Meatless Mondays

    The Sisters of Bon Secours have also made a commitment to eliminate single-use plastics and reduce the use of other types of plastics and encourage you to do the same.

    Congregation of Bon Secours Corporate Statement on Water

    We, Sisters of Bon Secours and the Bon Secours Family throughout the world AFFIRM:

    • Water is a sacred gift that connects all life.
    • Access to clean water is a basic human right.
    • The value of the earth’s freshwater to the common good takes priority over any possible commercial value.
    • Freshwater is a shared legacy, a public trust and a collective responsibility.

    WE SUPPORT actions and policies that:

    • Ensure universal access to sufficient, affordable, safe water for all people, especially the most vulnerable.
    • Protect freshwater as a sustainable, renewable resource.
    • Implement the objectives of the UN Millennium Goals and Rio + 20 commitments on water.

    We OPPOSE actions and policies that:

    • Endanger the world’s supply of freshwater.
    • Deprive humans and other species access to adequate, safe water essential for life.
    • Favor the privatization of water as a commodity to be bought and sold for profit when in reality it is a heritage we all hold in common.

    Learn More