There are many opportunities for Catholics across the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington to observe this year’s Season of Creation, which will begin on Sept. 1 (the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) and end on Oct. 4 (the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi).
Pope Francis first called for Catholics to observe this ecumenical initiative in 2016 and issued annual messages on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation throughout his pontificate. Pope Leo has continued this endorsement of the Season of Creation by asking the Church this year “to contemplate the gift of life and to cherish the earth that sustains it, for they are tangible ways of offering praise to our Creator.”
One theme among the celebrations being planned by parishes around the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is the use of the new Mass for the Care of Creation, which was promulgated by the Vatican on June 8, 2025. The Vatican, on Aug. 4, 2026, approved English and Spanish texts of prayers and readings for use in the United States. The Mass for the Care of Creation is intended to be celebrated especially during the Season of Creation.
Parishes will also be marking the Season of Creation by the use of posts in their parish bulletins and on their Flocknotes and social media. At the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, there will be a special prayer recited before all Masses during the Season of Creation. Sacred Heart will also hang two large bilingual banners outside the church to promote celebration of the Season of Creation in the larger Columbia Heights community. At St. Camillus Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland a special prayer, drawn from the text of the Mass for the Care of Creation, will be recited at the end of the Prayer of the Faithful during the Season of Creation.
The following are some of the events during the Season of Creation that are open to participation by Catholics, regardless of their home parish.
Sept. 1: The Season of Creation opens with a global ecumenical prayer service that will take place at 9 a.m. Among the speakers will be Dr. Tebaldo Vinciguerra, the Official in Charge of Ecology, Natural Resources, Sustainable Development at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The prayer service will be available to view online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Sept. 1: St. John the Baptist will host a presentation on “Ecological Conversion: The Environmental Crisis as a Social Justice Issue,” at 7 p.m. (Kazista Room, 12319 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland)
Sept. 1 – Oct. 4: For the entirety of the Season of Creation, Holy Trinity Church in Washington, D.C., will be offering a self-guided pilgrimage of reflection for individuals on its parish grounds, starting in front of the Upper School. Each station pairs Scripture, art, and quiet reflection with this year’s theme of Living Water, inviting you to pause, pray, and consider our shared responsibility for creation. Pilgrims can walk it at their own pace — alone, with family, or with friends. The parish grounds are open from dawn to dusk. (1325 36th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.)
Sept. 6: Holy Trinity Church will open its celebration of the Season of Creation with a Mass for the Care of Creation at all its Sunday Mass times: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. (1315 36th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.)
Sept. 10: The Catholic Climate Covenant, Franciscan Action Network, Franciscan Federation, and Interfaith Public Health Network (in cooperation with members of the Green Team at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle) will jointly sponsor a webinar on “Moving Beyond Plastics in a ‘Throwaway Culture,’” featuring Judith Enck, author of "The Problem with Plastic." The webinar will start at 7 p.m., and interested persons can register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webina....
Sept. 13: Holy Trinity Church will be sponsoring presentations and exhibits by environmental groups during the Coffee Hour after its 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Masses. Group presenting on this date include City Blossoms, the Catholic Garden Network, Integrative Strategies Forum (Plastics), and Ward 8 Woods Conservancy. Stop by to gather resources, meet the people doing this work in our region, and find simple ways to get involved. (McKenna Hall – O Street, N.W., between 35th and 36th Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.)
Sept. 13: St. John the Baptist Church’s Eco-ministry will offer an information table at the annual parish picnic following the 11:30 a.m. Mass. (12319 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland)
Sept. 14-15: Holy Cross Church in Garrett Park will hold a Parish Feast Mission on Sept. 14-15 (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.), on "St. Francis of Assisi: Praise that Holds Back Nothing" with featured speaker Brother Thomas Piolata, O.F.M. Cap., Ph.D. Sept. 14 is the Feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross. (4900 Strathmore Avenue Garrett Park, Maryland)
Sept. 19: St. Michael the Archangel Church will hold a Native Plant Garden Maintenance Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, starting with a Mass for the Care of Creation at 8 a.m. and continuing through noon. (805 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland)
Sept. 19: St. Camillus Church will offer an opportunity to care for and improve the gardens and grounds on parish property, including maintenance of its pollinator gardens, from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. This is a popular event for students seeking service hours. For more information and to sign up (volunteer slots are limited), contact Tom Melo at melotc@gmail.com. (1600 St. Camillus Drive, Silver Spring, Maryland)
Sept. 20: Holy Trinity Church will be sponsoring a second week of conversations and resources presented by environmental groups during the Coffee Hour after its 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Masses. This week welcomes Interfaith Power & Light, Love & Carrots, the Oblate International Pastoral Investment Fund, Eden’s Products by Restoration 1:99, and Ward 3 Bicycle Advocates / Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). Whether you missed the first session on Sept. 13 or want to go deeper, there’s more to discover and new ways to care for our common home. (McKenna Hall – O Street, N.W., between 35th and 36th Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.)
Sept. 20: Holy Trinity Church will host, at 4 p.m., a contemplative sound bath facilitated by a Native American, Little Raven, that will honor water as a time of rest and renewal — an invitation to still the mind and open the spirit to God’s living water that restores. It will offer a moment of stillness amid a season of action. (Chapel of St. Ignatius, N Street, N.W., between 35th and 36th Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.)
Sept. 26: St. John the Baptist Church will celebrate the Mass for the Care of Creation at 9 a.m., followed by an eco-ministry gathering/discussion. (Mass in Church; discussion in Kazista Room, 12319 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland)
Sept. 27: Holy Trinity Church will host a lecture at 10:15 a.m. by Prof. Elizabeth Ferris of Georgetown University on “Thirst for Living Water: The Cry of the Earth, the Courage of its Defenders: Forced Displacement in Central America”, focused on forced migration from Central America due to climate change. (Trinity Hall, 3518 O Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20007)
Oct. 3: St. John the Baptist Church will hold a Blessing of the Animals at 11 a.m. (12319 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland)
Oct. 3: Holy Trinity Church will host a performance of Vivaldi's “Four Seasons” by the National Chamber Orchestra in Holy Trinity Church at 7:30 p.m. (1315 36th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.)
Oct. 4: The Season of Creation will close with a global ecumenical prayer service that will take place at 9 a.m. The prayer service will be available to view online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Oct. 4: Holy Trinity Church will hold a Blessing of the Animals at 2 p.m. in the McKenna Courtyard and Holy Trinity School playground. This will be part of an afternoon of activities celebrating the beauty of creation and our shared responsibility to care for our common home. Pets should be leashed or crated. (McKenna Courtyard, accessible from O Street, N.W., between 35th and 36th Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.)
(Robert M. Simon is a parishioner at St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Maryland and a member of the coordinating group for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s Care for Creation Committee.)
