Resources

January 1—World Day of Peace The World Day of Peace was inspired by the encyclical Pacem in Terris.  This day call us to an awareness of the links between peace, poverty and the care of creation articulated in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si.  2020 marks the 53rd annual World Day of Peace.  The theme is PEACE AS A JOURNEY OF HOPE: DIALOGUE, RECONCILIATION AND ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION.   War, violence, and the ecological damage caused by climate change have all contributed to the poverty and injustice that make true peace impossible.  Restoring justice requires restoring balance in our world—respecting and protecting the [...]

December 1—World Aids Day December 1, 2019 marks the 31st global World AIDS Day, to raise awareness about the continued epidemic affecting over 34 million people currently living with HIV worldwide. Since the disease was first recognized in 1981, over 35 million people have died from AIDS. Stigma and discrimination continue to affect those living with HIV/AIDS in many parts of the world.  Although great advances have been made in combating the virus causing AIDS, there is still no cure. This is a day to learn the facts about AIDS and to put those learnings into action.  Let us reach [...]

November 10—World Science Day for Peace and Development The purpose of the World Science Day for Peace and Development is to remember the contributions made by science to peace and sustainable development around the world. This day reminds us how essential scientific research and implementation are to humankind’s ability to successfully meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the UN in September 2015. Unfortunately, science can and often has been used to promote violence and war on an ever more devastating scale in the past 100 years. This day is a time to urge nations and governments to [...]

October 1—International Day of Older Persons International Day of Older Persons is celebrated on October 01, 2019. This day was initiated by the United Nations in 1990 to honor the efforts of the elderly and the value they bring to society. Today, 900 million people are over 60 years old.  By 2050, it is estimated that 2 billion people (about 22% of the world’s population) will be over 60.  Between 1950 and 2010, the average life expectancy rose from 46-68.  People over 60 serve society as leaders of countries, businesses, educational efforts, and spiritual growth.  They often care for and educate young children in the home, care for sick family members and mentor young adults.  But many face [...]

September 1—World Day of Prayer for Creation The world-wide Season of Creation opens on Sunday, September 1st, the World Day of Prayer for Creation.  The season extends through the feast of St Francis, the patron of ecology, on October 4th.  This year’s theme for the season is:  The Web of Life-Biodiversity Is God’s Gift. This day and throughout the month, we are invited to marvel at the wonders of creation, taking time to appreciate and savor nature’s many gifts. It is also a time to take action to protect and promote biodiversity.  Each creature on our richly diverse planet reveals [...]

August 6 and 9—World Remembrance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki At 8:16 AM, over Hiroshima on August 6 and at 10:58 AM on August 9 over Nagasaki, in 1945, the course of human history changed forever with the dropping of 2 nuclear bombs during World War II. This violent ushering in of the nuclear age stunned humanity with is overwhelming destructive power. In a single horrible blast, whole cities could be wiped off the face of the earth, and subsequent radiation exposure continued to claim victims even 20-30 years later. Since then, nuclear armed countries have developed even more powerful and [...]

July 11—World Population Day July 11th, World Population Day, seeks to raise awareness of issues around world population.  The world’s population has grown from 3 billion in 1960, to 5 billion in 1987, to about 7 billion now.  Despite having the Earth capacity to produce enough food for everyone, the increasing environmental degradation, armed conflicts, and population displacements cause by both of these, makes food growth and distribution difficult.  With food and water crises comes additional human rights abuses and further losses of biological diversity needed to maintain a healthy environment.  Increasing population also brings growing demands for energy.  Even [...]

June 5—World Environment Day Celebrated in 100 countries, the UN’s World Environment Day calls all citizens of the world to raise awareness about the care of Earth.  Further, it is a day to foster action to protect the environment.  Earth is our mother.  She sustains and protects us and all life on our planet.  This year, China will host the World Environment Celebrations on June 5th—the theme is air pollution.  The main events will be held in Hangzhou, in the province of Zhejiang.  China was chosen to host the events because of the great strides they have made over the [...]