Let’s Celebrate Creation Day with the New "Creation Mass"

Feasy of Creation: Two Invitations for Our Religious Institutes 

As shared last year, UISG and USG are deeply involved in the global ecumenical process calling for a more intentional celebration of the annual "Feast of Creation" of September 1st (also known as "Creation Day" or "World Day of Prayer for Creation").

For that reason, we welcome the Vatican's decree issuing the new formulary of the "Missa pro custodia creationis" – "Mass for the Care of Creation" – as one step in that journey. The new Mass is a useful pastoral resource to support the celebrations of the Feast of Creation next September.

After three decades of ever-growing grassroots celebrations of the Feast, it is clear that there is a deep thirst in the People of God to celebrate liturgically the gift of Creation and God as Creator. In fact, many Christian denominations are already taking steps towards liturgical celebrations of these observances, inspired by Creation Day's ancient liturgical roots in the Eastern Church. This new "Creation Mass" is a small but helpful first step in that direction also for us Catholics.

In light of this, we have two invitations for our religious institutes.

1) CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF CREATION WITH THE NEW MASS:

Let us join in celebrating Creation Day on September 1st, or the following Sunday (September 7th), with the new "Creation Mass".

Please share widely in your networks and communities the resource "Ideas to celebrate Creation Day": www.bit.ly/creation-day-mass-ideas

2) ENDORSE THE ELEVATION OF THE FEAST TO THE LITURGICAL CALENDAR:

We would like to thank the over 600 superiors general who, on behalf of their institutes, have endorsed the proposal to elevate this feast to become the "Feast of Creation in Christ" in the liturgical calendar. Other associations and lay movements have also joined, making it a total of over 1000 Catholic organizations who already signed the joint letter about the Feast. Bishops are also active in the process, with 30 episcopal conferences that also endorsed the proposal.

We encourage superiors general from those institutes who still didn't make this step to consider joining as well. Details about the proposal and how to sign the joint letter are available here: www.bit.ly/memo-feast

These actions take on even greater significance in this year of key anniversaries:
– 10th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si'
– 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures
– 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea

We thank you for your attention and for your shared commitment to the care of Creation.