Ursulines of Prelate

On this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, leaders of Canada’s 64 Congregations of Catholic Sisters are calling on the country’s politicians to respond to the climate emergency declared by Parliament by taking concrete steps to avert it.  
As Women Religious, caring for all of God’s Creation is an essential part of our faith. The drastic changes to our climate brought on by the release of greenhouse gases pose the greatest threat to all living beings. Yet, not enough is being done to address it. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis points out that “reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most.” (169)   
 
For our part, we have taken robust action to combat the destruction of our planet and to care for our common home. Many of our Congregations have taken steps to:
 
 Divest from fossil fuel portfolios to clean and renewable energy projects.Eliminate single-use plastics.Retrofit residential buildings, including solar, bio-thermal and renewable natural gas installations.  Commit to the Blue Communities project which entails treating water as a sacred resource and shared commons.Plant trees in Canada and in the countries where our Missions exist.Compost, reduce and recycle.  Partner and provide support to community groups and movements committed to address the climate emergency.We urge all politicians running in the upcoming federal election to acknowledge the climate emergency and to implement an immediate multilevel policy strategy for a just transition to ecologically sustainable living.
 
The actions to address the climate emergency should be concrete, justice-based and stripped of partisan politics. We invite political leaders to join us in caring for our common home by: 
 
 Keeping fossil fuels in the ground and ending subsidies to fossil fuel and plastic producers.Redirecting investments and rapidly expanding the renewable energy economy, including investment in retraining for workers affected by job loss in fossil fuel production.Continuing to hold companies to account by putting a cost against the greenhouse gas pollution they produce.Coordinating an intensive and sustained public awareness effort to change attitudes and behaviours.Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and developing climate emergency policies in line with the Indigenous knowledge and teachings. 
 
We are facing an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to Earth. With so many others on the planet, we hope that politicians will show commitment, leadership and collective wisdom in the movement to protect our planet from destruction. This is the only way forward together.

UISG (International Union of Superiors General) is a worldwide organization of Superiors General of Institutes of Catholic Women Religious. It encourages dialogue and collaboration among Religious Congregations within the Church and larger society.  This statement is a collaboration of all 64 Canadian members of the UISG.  
 
For more information: 
 
English: Sister Margo Ritchie Congregational Leader Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada mritchie@csjcanada.org (519) 432-3781 ext. 418
 
Lisa Tabachnick Director of Communications Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto ltabachnick@csj-to.ca  (416) 467-2630
 
Français: Sœur Aurore Larkin Supérieure de Congrégation Les Sœurs Grises de Montreal alarkin@sgm.ca t  (514) 842-9411 c (514) 298-3007
 
Signatories: 
CONGRÉGATION / CONGREGATION VILLE / CITY, PROVINCE  Antoniennes de Marie Chicoutimi, Québec 

Congrégation de Notre-Dame Montréal, Québec 

Dominicaines Missionnaires Adoratrices Québec, Québec 

Filles de la Providence St-Constant, Québec 

Filles de Marie-de-L’Assomption Campbellton, Nouveau Brunswick 

Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Pembroke, Ontario 

Institut Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil de Montréal Montréal, Québec 

Les Dominicaines de la Trinité Shawinigan, Québec 

Les Missionnaires du Christ-Roi  Montréal, Québec 

Les Sœurs de la Providence Montréal, Québec 

Missionnaires Notre-Dame des Anges Sherbrooke, Québec  Missionnaires de l'Immaculée Conception Montréal, Québec  Missionnaires Oblates du Sacré-Cœur et de Marie-Immacuée  Winnipeg, Manitoba 

Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur Dieppe, New Brunswick 
Oblates de Béthanie Québec, Québec 

Oblates Franciscaines de St-Joseph  Montréal, Québec  

Our Lady's Missionaries Toronto, Ontario 

Petites Filles de Saint-François Montréal, Québec 

Petites Filles de Saint-Joseph Montréal, Québec 

Petites Franciscaines de Marie Baie-St-Paul, Québec 

Petites Soeurs de la Sainte-Famille Sherbrooke, Québec 

Religieuses Hospitalières de St-Joseph  Montréal, Québec 

Servantes du Saint Cœur de Marie Montréal, Québec 

Servantes du Très Saint-Sacrement Sherbrooke, Québec 

Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul Halifax, Nova Scotia 

Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception Saint John, New Brunswick 

Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland St John's, Newfoundland 

Sisters of Mission Service Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 

Sisters of Providence of Saint Vincent de Paul Kingston, Ontario 

Sisters of Saint Joseph in Canada Hamilton, London, Pembroke, Peterborough, Ontario
Sisters of Saint Joseph of Sault Ste Marie North Bay, Ontario 

Sisters of Saint Joseph of Toronto Toronto, Ontario 

Sisters of Saint Martha of Antigonish Antigonish, Nova Scotia 

Sisters of Saint Martha of Prince Edward Island Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Sisters of Social Service Toronto, Ontario 

Sœurs Augustines de la Miséricorde de Jésus Québec, Québec 

Soeurs de Charité de Saint-Louis Montréal, Québec 

Sœurs de Charité de St-Hyacinthe Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec 

Sœurs de l’Assomption de la Sainte-Vierge Québec, Québec 

Sœurs de l’Institut Jeanne d’Arc Ottawa, Ontario 

Sœurs de la Charité d’Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario 

Soeurs de la Charité de Montréal (Soeurs Grises) Montréal, Québec  Sœurs de la Charité de Québec Québec, Québec 

Soeurs de la Providence Montreal, Québec 

Soeurs de l'Assomption de la Sainte Vierge Nicolet, Québec 
Sœurs de Miséricorde Montréal, Québec 

Sœurs de Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice Rouyn-Noranda, Québec 

Sœurs de Notre-Dame du Bon Conseil  Chicoutimi, Québec 

Sœurs de Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur Dieppe, Nouveau Brunswick    Sœurs de Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours St-Damien-de-Bellechasse, Québec
Soeurs de Sainte-Anne Lachine, Québec 

Sœurs de Sainte-Croix St-Laurent, Québec 

Sœurs de Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc Québec, Québec 

Soeurs de Sainte-Marthe de Saint-Hyacinthe Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec  Sœurs de Saint-François d’Assise Québec, Québec 

Soeurs de Saint-Joseph de Saint-Hyacinthe Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec  Sœurs de St-Joseph de St-Vallier Québec, Québec 

Sœurs des Saints Noms de Jésus et de Marie Longueuil, Québec  Sœurs du Bon-Pasteur de Québec Québec, Québec 

Sœurs Notre-Dame du St-Rosaire Rimouski, Québec 

Sœurs Servantes de Notre-Dame Reine du Clergé Lac-au-Saumon, Québec 

Ursuline Sisters of Chatham Chatham, Ontario 

Ursuline Sisters of Prelate Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 

Ursulines Québec, Québec