To celebrate God’s creation, students in Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools participated in various Earth Day (April 22, 2024) activities ranging from nature walks to gardening, and learning about what helps and harms the planet.
The celebration, which focuses on “Caring for God’s Creation” is a key Catholic Social Teaching in which we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.”
Catholic school students are learning those valuable lessons right here in the Diocese of Venice.
For example, students at St. Joseph Catholic School celebrated the beauty of God’s creation on Earth Day by planting flowers in the courtyards around the campus and beautifying their school. The flowers were all donated by parents and the Kiwanis Builders Club.
Meanwhile, fourth grade students at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers enjoyed walking around the school grounds finding different parts of nature to illustrate.
The lessons learned in the classroom studied what actions/inactions can help/harm the planet, and what each student can do to make a difference in their small place in God’s creation. St. Catherine Catholic School sixth graders in Sebring were given practical examples of what they can do to educate themselves and others.
Each of the 15 Diocesan Catholic schools had similar lessons and activities for Earth Day. However, the learning isn’t focused on the one day, but “Caring for God’s Creation” is incorporated into the overall lesson plan as each student is taught to be a good steward of the planet.
