Walking Together for Justice:
National Laudato Si' Pilrimage

Sisters joined the National Laudato Si' Pilgrimage, organized by the Episcopal Commission for Peace and Justice. The event brought together Christians from across Bangladesh to reflect on our responsibility to care for creation. The pilgrimage, was a profound spiritual journey calling for renewed ecological conversion and commitment to protecting our common home.

Caring for Creation: Sustainable Rice Harvesting and Food Security

Sisters in Bhadun have taken an active role in sustainable agriculture, cultivating rice on their land and ensuring that every part of the harvest is used efficiently. This initiative promotes food security, self-sufficiency and responsible land stewardship. It embodies the call to ecological economics to which the Congregation commits.

A Call to End Human Trafficking:
Prayer and Awareness for Justice

On February 11, 2024, sisters in Dhaka gathered for a holy hour of prayer to commemorate the International Day of Prayer. With a focus on awareness against human trafficking, they reflected on the theme “Journeying in Dignity: Listen, Dream and Act.” Together with others, they joined the global movement to end exploitation, uphold human dignity, and advocate for victims.

Connecting Faith and Creation:
Annual Prayer for Unity and Peace

Each year, Holy Cross Girls High School in Dhaka opens with a prayer service. This moment of spiritual unity reflects the call of Laudato Si'. It also brings together students of all faiths to build bridges across cultures and religions. The service also promotes peace, solidarity and care for all of creation.

Immersive Learning: Encouraging Ecological Awareness Through Field Trips

At Holy Cross School in Bogura, students were given an opportunity to experience nature firsthand. During a field trip to Momo Inn Park & Resort, students explored native wildlife, ecosystems and natural landscapes. They deepened their connection to the environment, embodying the Laudato Si' call to ecological education.

Healing and Wholeness:
Expanding Access to Health Care

In response to the needs of vulnerable communities, sisters in Kulaura have expanded health care services. Their commitment is aligned with Catholic social teaching’s call to defend the dignity of every person. It also ensures that families in underserved areas receive the medical care they deserve, embodying a preferential option for people living in poverty.

Rising From the Flood:
A Community United for Climate Justice

After Brazil experienced one of its worst floods in history, sisters and their school communities mobilized relief efforts. They collected food, water and clothing for affected families. Their response highlights the urgency of climate action and solidarity in times of crisis.

Stitching Hope:
Handcrafted Care for the Vulnerable 

Sisters are empowering women at the Prisma Study Center by providing inspiration and financial support. Together, these women create blankets and baby clothes for those in need, offering warmth and hope to flood survivors and vulnerable families.

A Path to Dignity:
Jobs and Skills for the Future 

Through initiatives like Meu Emprego Já (My Job Now), sisters support job training, internships and employment opportunities. These efforts help break cycles of poverty and provide sustainable livelihoods for young people and adults.

Healing Hands:
Blood and Vision Drives for the Community 

Sisters hosted a health campaign, offering free eye exams and organizing a blood donation drive. More than 140 people signed up to give blood, and over 100 received vision care. The event provided access to and awareness of health services.

Sustainability in Action:
Building a Green Future 

Students in an elective course designed and built sustainable house prototypes with eco-friendly materials. Guided by an architect and using real-world skills, they showcased innovative solutions for a greener future.

Food with a Purpose:
Fighting Waste, Feeding Hope 

In an experimental kitchen project, students learned to minimize food waste by using every part of an ingredient. This initiative not only promotes sustainability but also raises awareness about food security and responsible consumption.

Faith in Action:
The Power of Creation-centered Prayer 

Sisters integrate eco-spirituality into their daily lives, incorporating Laudato Si' themes into communal prayers, catechesis and social justice advocacy. These gatherings foster a deeper connection between faith, ministry and care for creation.

Ecological Education
Promote environmental education through community-based learning initiatives on responsible waste management, recycling and conservation. Partner with schools, parishes and other organizations to instill a deep sense of ecological responsibility. And at the same time, inspire concrete actions toward the care of our common home.

Ecological Spirituality
Deepen spiritual connection to creation by integrating ecological themes into prayer, liturgy and communal reflection. Create sacred spaces for contemplation in nature, where individuals and communities can pray with and for creation. This fosters an ecological conversion that inspires action.

Community Resilience and Empowerment
Foster ecological citizenship through radio, social media and in-person workshops in schools, churches and other institutions to promote environmental awareness. Equip communities with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate for environmental justice, sustainable development, and social transformation

Ecumenical Advocacy for Responsible Mining

Participation in Peru’s Ecumenical Conference on Mining to advocate for responsible mining practices that respect human dignity and environmental sustainability.

Participation in Peru’s Ecumenical Conference on Mining to advocate for responsible mining practices that respect human dignity and environmental sustainability.

Community-based Environmental Action

Community-based Environmental Action

Organizing social and ecological action days, promoting environmental awareness and local engagement.

Recycling and Sustainability Education

Implementing recycling programs and teaching sustainable waste management in communities
and prisons.

Solidarity With Migrants
and Vulnerable Populations

Supporting pastoral work for migrants, displaced persons and those affected by systemic failures, ensuring their dignity and rights are upheld.

Workshops on Social and Ecological Justice

Organizing workshops, seminars and webinars to educate and empower communities on issues of social and ecological justice.

Networking and Partnering
With Like-minded Justice Organizations

Actively contributing to the Eco-spirituality Commission of the Civil Society Action Network of North Lima. This advances the intersection of faith, ecology and justice through the lens of Laudato Si'.

Living Simply and Reducing
Environmental Impact

Choosing public transportation, walking, using energy-efficient lighting, and reducing meat consumption. This reflects a commitment to ecological responsibility and solidarity with vulnerable communities affected by environmental degradation. These actions reduce carbon footprints and promote healthier, more sustainable lifestyles.

Ecological Education and Advocacy
for Systemic Change

Organizing annual climate change workshops, writing educational courses on climate justice, and collaborating with the Sub-Commission Group on Ecology, mining group and others. Through these efforts, sisters promote a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship. By providing discussion materials as resources for broader networks, they contribute to systemic change and ecological conversion.

Advocacy for Justice:
Journeying with Migrants and the Displaced 

In response to shifting immigration policies, sisters hosted “Hope in Action: Journeying With People Forced Into Displacement.” Holy Cross associates and staff joined with organizations to learn, pray and advocate for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Sisters’ commitment to welcoming the stranger reflects the Gospel call to solidarity and the dignity of every person.

Protecting Creation:
Restoring the Land and Supporting Biodiversity 

Across the country, individual communities worked hard on sustainability efforts. These included recycling, composting, shopping local, planting trees, restoring monarch butterfly habitats, and implementing sustainable land practices. These efforts reflect the Laudato Si' call to ecological conversion, ensuring that the land we steward thrives for future generations.

Faith in Action: Season of Creation
and Laudato Si' Observances

Sisters celebrated the Season of Creation with prayer services, community reflections, and commitments to live more sustainably. At the motherhouse in Notre Dame, Indiana, a special liturgy was held where attendees expressed lament and hope for the planet and all vulnerable communities.

Education for Justice:
Empowering Students to Live Laudato Si'

At The Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, Maryland, students took part in Holy Cross Gives Thanks Service Day. During the event, they created a Laudato Si'-themed quilt celebrating the sisters’ commitment to justice and creation care. In another initiative, student farmers at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, shared their knowledge of sustainable farming with the sisters. The event fostered intergenerational learning and ecological awareness.

Advocating for Human Dignity:
Engaging Policymakers for Systemic Change 

Sisters engaged in political advocacy. They wrote letters, made calls, sent postcards, and met with congressional leaders to address pressing justice concerns.

Honoring the Past, Living the Present,
and Protecting the Future 

Sisters in Idaho made a pilgrimage to honor the lives of Holy Cross sisters buried in Boise. The trip integrated prayer, history and environmental appreciation. Their visit to Thousand Springs and Malad Gorge deepened their connection to the land and the water sources that sustain communities and agriculture. They were reminded of our shared responsibility to protect creation.

Ecological Education 
Support collaborations with like-minded organizations and advocates on sustainability initiatives. Participate in education and resources offered by the Holy Cross Justice Collaborative.

Ecological Spirituality
Expand opportunities for theological reflection on creation and justice.

Community Resilience and Empowerment
Support Catholic social teaching education in our sponsored ministries by empowering youth to take action.