When Christ prayed to His Father in Scripture, He often went out into nature — withdrawing to a deserted place, climbing up a mountain or praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Young adults throughout the Diocese of Phoenix have been following suit, encountering God in creation and being drawn deeper into their faith along the way.
Their road map? Care for Creation, one of the seven pillars of Catholic Social Teaching.
“Catholic Social teaching is the part of the teachings of the Church that focus on the holistic human dignity of each and every person,” explained Abigail Standish, coordinator of Catholic Social Teaching for the Diocese of Phoenix.
As a theology major in college, Standish took a course on Catholic Social Teaching.
“I fell in love with it,” she said. “I found that the theology I had been learning could be put into action in very practical ways… to serve the poor, to work for creation… and this lit my soul on fire.”
But it was an eye-opening moment as a teen that led Standish to see God in creation to a new depth, stirring her passion for Catholic Social Teaching.
During high school, Standish had the opportunity to attend a Catholic summer camp in Georgia. One day, she went white water rafting and after the rush of adrenaline from the rapids, the water turned calm and something within her shifted as she enjoyed the beauty around her.
“I remember so specifically. We went around the river bend, and I looked up in awe,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh — God is here! Look at how beautiful this water is, look at how tall the pine trees are … God created all of this. God created me but God also created these things for me and to be with me.’”
She would later associate this life-changing moment with the term “Care for Creation,” the pillar of Catholic Social Teaching that emphasizes how humanity, created in the image and likeness of God, is interdependent with all other creation. There is also an emphasis on the human need for the natural world, and the earth’s need for humans “to cultivate and care for it” (Genesis 2:15).
“Creation is even in the Mass,” continued Standish. “We [hear] about the fruit of the vine — the work of human hands. We acknowledge that the gifts we have been given are because of God’s creation and that the beauty of God’s creation is with us throughout the liturgy and Scripture.”
It is Standish’s passion for Catholic Social Teaching that led her to play a key role in the historic, first-ever Creation Summit in the Diocese of Phoenix that took place earlier this year.
Creation Summit
The Creation Summit was held on January 25, 2025, at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Phoenix. It was a day of listening, conversation and reflection on care for God’s creation.
“We talked about practical things that people should know about creation… It’s super important to home in on spirituality and why we believe this, but then we have to take what we believe and put it into action,” Standish said.
Among those in attendance were high school students from the Brophy College Preparatory Student Climate Coalition group, who spoke about their action plan. They researched and presented a proposal to put solar panels on the school’s rooftops and in the south parking lots. The board voted to fund the project, which will reduce Brophy’s traditional energy consumption by 48% with money saved going to the financial aid program.
Water conservation is another topic that Brophy students are passionate about. The change from grass to artificial turf has been made in many areas of the campus.
Following the Creation Summit, Standish hopes that, through the connections made, individual neighborhoods and parish communities will be inspired to foster discussions and action, growing in the call to steward all of God’s creation.
Laudato Si hikes at Northern Arizona University
Megan Quinn is a student at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Ariz., and a member of the Holy Trinity Newman Center. As a biology major, she is especially passionate about helping her fellow students encounter God through creation.
Her journey began in high school where she first made the connection between faith and the environment.
“I fell in love with being outside,” Quinn recalled. “I saw how being able to experience creation brought me closer to the Lord.”
She also learned about the damage environmental degradation can have on the world, especially vulnerable populations. Inspired, she decided to study biological conservation.
Now, as a graduate student, she serves as a Laudato Si Advocate, a program for young people who partner with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. The program is named after Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical, Laudato Si’, which focuses on care for the environment. Quinn is the Arizona representative, and her role is to encourage environmental advocacy from a Catholic perspective through community events.
“I knew I wanted to have more conversations with my fellow students about the intersection between faith and care for creation. I had the idea of hiking, discussing and reflecting on Laudato Si’ to create a space for people to experience the Lord in creation,” said Quinn.
When the time for the first hike came around, Quinn was nervous, not knowing if anyone would show up. But NAU students responded with interest as Quinn led them on a series of three hikes. During each hike, they would go off individually, accompanied by a passage from Laudato Si’ to read and reflect on within the created reality around them.
Afterward they talked about their experiences.
“It was cool to hear about how different people experienced the Lord in the grass, in the wind, in the birds… and feeling the Lord’s love and peace from that experience. It helped us connect the earth, creation and the Lord,” said Quinn.
Participants also talked about how they can respond to God’s call to care for the creation present in their own lives.
“During these hikes I truly felt the Lord’s presence in nature,” said Thai Cam Ly Nyugen, an NAU student and Laudato Si hike participant. “I trust in God’s power as the Creator of all things, and these experiences have deepened my faith and strengthened my connection with Him.”
On the last of the hikes, the students wrote letters to state representatives, asking them to join in the active effort to foster and care for the environment.
“Placing the stamps on these letters, I was reminded of the ways the Lord has provided living water to me. These hikes taught me to continually return to my connection with God, creation and my neighbor,” Quinn said.
“As I continue this journey as a Catholic environmental advocate, I take Pope Francis’ words [from Laudato Si’ no. 245] with me: ‘In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, He does not leave us alone, for He has united Himself definitively to our earth, and His love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to Him!’”
