St. Louis Interfaith Moral March for Climate Justice

By Gina Rogers

Sierra Club

A coalition of faith-based organizations worked together over the course of this past year to address climate issues in St. Louis and host a faith walk, a faith-based climate leadership training, and a local faith leadership sign-on letter delivery event. The Ecumenical Leadership Council, an affiliation of 500 black churches in Missouri; the St. Louis Interfaith Partnership, the largest interfaith coalition in the region; and the Washington University Catholic Student Center all played significant roles.

sierra club interfaith march francis pope encyclical assisi saint

Sierra Club organizers coordinated with these unified groups towards a Moral March for Climate Justice in the city; planned so as to coincide with the pope’s historic visit, in support of his call to climate action. 

St. Louis Interfaith Moral March for Climate Justice

The Pope's second Encyclical letter, "Laudato Si': on Care for Our Common Home", is named after Saint Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun. Laudato Si' translates to “Praise be to you". Also known as Canticle of the Creatures or Laudes Creaturarum (Praise of the Creatures), Saint Francis of Assisi's work is translated into english as follows:

 
Most high, all powerful, all good Lord!
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.
 
To You, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your name.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through all Your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and You give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens You have made them bright, precious and beautiful.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which You give Your creatures sustenance.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Water;
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You brighten the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth,
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of You;
through those who endure sickness and trial.
 
Happy those who endure in peace,
for by You, Most High, they will be crowned.
 
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Bodily Death,
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing Your most holy will.
The second death can do no harm to them.
 
Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,
and serve Him with great humility.

Praise be to the Missouri Clean Energy Coalition partners, Sierra Club's Emily Rosenwasser and Debra Cohen; the Club's Missouri Chapter members Gretchen Waddell-Barwick, John Delurey, John Hickey, Rajiv Ravulapati, Michael Berg, Andy Knott, Holly Bender, Allison Fisher, Maxine Lipeles, Sunil Bector; and last but not least all of the other Missouri members in supporting roles without whom this event would have been less eventful.

Gina Rogers is an editorial intern with the Sierra Club's Communications Department. She studies sustainability & gender studies and lives with her plants in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.
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