Letter from the Most Reverend David J. Bonnar about care for our common home

MOST REV. DAVID J. BONNAR
Bishop of Youngstown

My Dear Friends,

Our baptism calls us to live the Gospel in our own time, to understand it and to make it relevant in our world. The late Pope Francis has said, “The opposite of conversion is ‘immobility,’ the secret belief that we have nothing else to learn from the Gospel.” In his 2015 encyclical Laudato si’, Pope Francis laid out our Gospel call to “ecological conversion,” a way of living sustainably to care for the Earth and its people. It is not an easy path to follow, requiring commitment and sacrifice, but it is a journey of great beauty and grace. People of faith praise and honor God through our safekeeping of all creation.

In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis exhorted all people of good will to step up immediately and take bold action toward the goals of Laudato si’. In light of this essential challenge, I appointed a committee to help us as a diocese to answer this call. Represented on the committee are people from sectors of our diocese that daily undertake to live the Gospel in the world – from families, parishes, schools, and social service institutions. Together they have researched the ways that our people are already answering the call and the many ways that we can all move forward to promote the care of our common home.

Our portion of the Lord’s vineyard spans from Lake to River, across fields, farms, cities, and towns. No matter what circumstance each of us dwells in, we are all connected to each other, depending on each other, and affecting each other every day in our decisions. What follows are materials to help us make decisions for the common good so that we may live as one in faith, hope, and love, and in our response to the continuing call of conversion.

May the caring actions outlined in this plan bring us closer to each other and to the Gospel way of life. Please join me in praying, “That all may be one.”

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend David J. Bonnar
Bishop of Youngstown

Read the Care for Creation Action Plan, published May 15, 2025

Photo by Courtney Poullas: Bishop Bonnar in gold and white vestments preaches a homily in St. Columba Cathedral during Easter season with vibrant flowers behind, April 24, 2025.