Notre Dame signs St. Francis Pledge | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Notre Dame signs St. Francis Pledge Notre Dame signs St. Francis Pledge Published: December 08, 2011 Author: Rachel Novick Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, has signed the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor , making Notre Dame a partner in a national movement to respond to Pope Benedict’s and the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ call for faithful action on climate change. The St. Francis Pledge is the central outreach tool for the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, a membership organization drawing guidance and support from a growing list of national Catholic organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. The pledge asks Catholic individuals, parishes and institutions to pray and learn about climate change, to assess their own environmental impact, to act to reduce their impact, and to advocate for policies and initiatives that protect the environment and the world’s poor. “The University of Notre Dame is seen not just as a top U.S. university, but as a Catholic institution in service to the world,” said Daniel Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. “By taking the St. Francis Pledge, the University will expand its commitment to mission-based sustainability in a way consistent with Catholic ideals and values: caring for God’s gift of Creation with a keen awareness that actions taken today impact people at home and abroad, especially the poor and vulnerable who suffer most from environmental degradation and climate change.” Over the last several years, Notre Dame has made significant efforts to help the community of Catholic colleges and universities make progress in the area of sustainability. Most notably, Notre Dame hosted “Renewing the Campus: Sustainability and the Catholic University,” the first national conference of its kind. More than 200 faculty, administrators and students from 45 universities across the country participated. More recently, Notre Dame’s Office of Sustainability helped to craft “Sustainability and Catholic Higher Education: A Toolkit for Mission Integration,” which has been distributed to Catholic colleges and universities across the country. “Making a commitment to be better stewards of God’s creation is not only a sign of hope, but a necessity,” said Tami Schmitz, assistant director of Campus Ministry. “The St. Francis Pledge provides an important framework for expanding collaboration between Campus Ministry and Sustainability and we are grateful to Father Jenkins for his leadership on this issue.” Notre Dame has recently expanded its commitment to sustainability by announcing a comprehensive strategy that includes ambitious carbon and waste reduction goals. “We appreciate the opportunity to explicitly link our sustainability initiatives to our Catholic mission,” said Heather Christophersen, director of sustainability. “In order to accomplish our goals, we need the support of all members of the Notre Dame community. We encourage everyone to pledge their support by signing the St. Francis Pledge and by taking the 2030 Challenge." Originally published by Rachel Novick at green.nd.edu on November 30, 2011. Posted In: Faith Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 03, 2022 dCEC to Award 2023 ND Evangelium Vitae Medal to Robert P. George September 22, 2022 In memoriam: Rev. Richard Warner, C.S.C., longtime leader for Notre Dame, Congregation of Holy Cross September 15, 2022 In new book on global Catholicism, Provost John McGreevy explores modern history, current challenges of the Church September 15, 2022 Death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean to speak at Notre Dame September 14, 2022 Apostolic nuncio to Great Britain to deliver the 2022 Keeley Vatican Lecture For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn