Special prayer service for Care of Creation is Sept. 1 in Glenview
On behalf of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and Ss. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church, both in Glenview, will commemorate the fifth annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1775 Grove St.
The special prayer service is open to people of all faiths, throughout the Chicago area, who are concerned about the environment.
"For 30 years, there has been active cooperation and collaboration between both churches, including programs, prayer and events aimed at addressing social needs throughout Chicagoland," said Very Rev. Thomas Baima, vicar for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago. "Recently, we have come together annually to pray and learn how to protect our common home."
Most Reverend Mark Bartosic, auxiliary bishop of Chicago, will preside over the prayer service, which will be followed by a lecture from Greek Orthodox scholar the Rev. Dr. Deacon Perry Hamalis, titled "Love God, Love Thy Neighbor, Love the Trees: Orthodox Reflections on Ecology, Theology, and Human Dignity."
In 1989, the late Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I of Constantinople designated Sept. 1, as a day of prayer for "the protection of the environment" for Orthodox Christians, a tradition that has been continued by his successor, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. Sharing their concern for creation in 2015, Pope Francis designated Sept. 1, as the "World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation" for Catholics.
By joining together in prayer for the care for our common home, Catholic and Orthodox Christians in Chicago are heeding the calls of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to protect creation, especially through prayer, education and action. The teachings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and of Pope Francis's encyclical "Laudato si'," call upon individuals and communities to care for our common earthly home, thus respecting the dignity of every human being, especially the poor, marginalized, and future generations.
In the words of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, "the ecological problem of pollution is invariably connected to the social problem of poverty; and so all ecological activity is ultimately measured and properly judged by its impact and effect upon the poor."
About the Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest in the United States, serves more than 2.2 million Catholics in 316 parishes in Cook and Lake Counties, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese, pastored by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, has more than 15,000 employees in its systems and ministries, including Catholic Charities, the region's largest nonprofit social service agency. The Archdiocese also has one of the country's largest seminaries. The Archdiocese's 204 elementary and secondary schools comprise one of the largest U.S. private school systems. It has garnered more U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards than any system of any type.
About the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago
Tracing its roots back to 1923, the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago is the diocese of Greek Orthodox faithful in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, as well as northern Indiana and southeastern Missouri and consists of 58 parishes and two monastic communities. The Metropolis is one of nine regions in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is presided over by Metropolitan Nathanael. The general offices of the Metropolis are temporarily located in Elk Grove Village. For information, visit www.chicago.goarch.org.