“What do you think of this cathedral we have here?”
Diocesan Vice Chancellor John Andrews was pointing to the backdrop of oak trees and wildflowers behind the altar as he welcomed worshippers to a Mass at the Oak Glen Preserve on June 1 to mark the 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical on the call to care for God’s creation.
Bishop Alberto Rojas celebrated the Mass with over 80 people in the mountainous area just east of Yucaipa. The bishop has enjoyed hiking in the preserve and filmed a video there in 2023 urging viewers to follow the principals outlined in Laudato Si.
“There’s something about nature that calls to the innermost parts of our being,” Bishop Rojas said during the Mass. “We need to care for it if we want to survive, ourselves. I wish everybody understood that.”
The Mass attracted a cross section of people, from local college students to parish Creation Care ministers to regional and statewide leaders. Catholic schools were represented at the Mass as students from Aquinas High School, Notre Dame High School and St. Jeanne de Lestonnac High School proclaimed the readings and the prayers of the faithful. Betsy Reifsnider, Co-Chair of the California Chapter of the Laudato Si Movement traveled all the way from Stockton to attend the Mass.
“Celebrating Mass with people of all ages, surrounded by oak trees and native wildflowers, in the shadow of the towering San Bernardino Mountains. What a perfect way to demonstrate Pope Francis’ call to protect our fragile earth and to embrace intergenerational solidarity,” commented Reifsnider.
Deacon John DeGano, who is a member of the diocesan Laudato Si Committee, gave a powerful homily in which he took stock of what impact the encyclical has had in the ten years since its release, and the challenges that remain.
“We should not downplay the fact that Laudato si’s biggest success to date has been that it has sparked the imagination of the scientific community to action and has made care for our planet a major (and permanent) tenet of our faith,” he said.
The Catholic faithful have an important role in living out the spirit of Laudato Si, Deacon DeGano preached, and that comes through a conversion of the heart.
“Called to be stewards of our gifts and resources for the benefit of all, may we go forth, continuing to trust in the Holy Spirit to call forth and inspire us and future generations to creatively move us closer in our relationship to our God and His creation.”
Rocio Ruiz, a community organizer with Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC), attended the Mass and noted the important emphasis that Laudato Si places on the relationship between environmental damage and the plight of the poor and disenfranchised.
“Environmental justice is deeply connected to the social justice issues we work on every day,” Ruiz said. “Environmental hazards disproportionately affect immigrant communities seeking safety and stability just as access to clean air and water directly impacts students’ ability to learn. Housing justice, too, is intertwined—low-income neighborhoods often face greater exposure to pollution, climate-related displacement, and unsafe living conditions.”
After Mass, Dr. Tim Krantz, director of the Wildlands Conservancy that oversees the preserve, led attendees on a guided walk through the vibrant wildflower garden.