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June 5 — World Environment Day Celebrated in 100 countries, the United Nations’ (UN) World Environment Day calls all citizens of the world to raise awareness about the care of Earth.  The theme for World Environment Day 2020 is “The Mighty Earth” with a focus on biodiversity.  The 2020 host country for the UN celebrations is Columbia in partnership with Germany.  Having recently celebrated the 5th anniversary of the papal encyclical Laudato Si, Catholics are now more aware than ever of our responsibility to care for our common home.  The encyclical reminds us that we are not only to “care” [...]

May 1—International Worker's Day Also known as May Day, International Workers’ Day honors laborers and workers around the world whose daily work builds and maintains society, economic systems, and supports families and communities.  In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all become accutely aware of the dangerous conditions that so many workers face each day.  It is common around the world for workers to lose their jobs if they miss work, even when they are suffering from serious illness.  Many jobs are extremely dangerous, threatening the lives of workers and the wellbeing of their families.  Although Catholic social [...]

April 4—International Day of Landmine Awareness & Assistance in Mine Action The effort to stop the production and use of landmines as weapons of war continues to be an urgent issue around the world.  Thousands of people are maimed or killed by landmines each year, in 84 countries.  In some of these countries armed conflicts have already been resolved, and yet undetected landmines still threaten children at play, farmers attempting to replant dormant fields, women going to collect water, and other innocent victims.  Governments continue to seek out and destroy these buried weapons of war, but the process is painstakingly [...]