From September 1 to October 4, we are once again joining this ecumenical initiative that brings together millions of Christians from various traditions in celebration, conversion, and a commitment to our common home.
This observance was originally established by Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I in 1989 as a day of prayer for creation, and the World Council of Churches played a key role in expanding it into a season spanning September 1 through October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. In 2015, Pope Francis established the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation for the Catholic Church, and since 2019, it has also been celebrated as part of the expanded Season of Creation.
This Year’s Slogans and Symbol
In 2026, two voices come together to invite us to experience this time.
On the one hand, Pope Leo XIV has chosen for his message on the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation the theme “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4), thereby highlighting the link between armed conflicts and environmental degradation. In his message, he states:
We are called to allow our hearts to be renewed, so that we may promote peace and care for creation (…) We will move forward slowly but surely, from the desert to the garden, from division to communion, and from violence to peace.
Meanwhile, this year’s ecumenical Season of Creation proposes the theme “Living Water, ” inspired by Ezekiel 47:9, 12: the vision of a small stream flowing from the temple of God that, as it flows, becomes a mighty river, healing parched lands and restoring life to the most damaged ecosystems. This year’s symbol, “Immersion in Living Water, ” invites us to let ourselves be carried by that current and, in turn, to become a source of life for others.
Peace and living water, war and drought: two images that shed light on one another this year and remind us that caring for creation and building peace are one and the same task.
Next Tuesday, September 1, at 6:30 p.m., Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the “Holy Mass for the Care of Creation” in the Madonnina Garden of Borgo Laudato si’, in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo. This Mass has its own official liturgy—the Mass for the Care of Creation or Missa pro custodia creationis—which was created and promulgated in 2025 by Pope Leo XIV, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the encyclical Laudato si’, to be incorporated into the Roman Missal.
A Spirituality of Care That Becomes a Network
This call resonates deeply with us, the Daughters of Jesus, and is specifically reflected in Resolution CGXIX-No. 22, which states:
“Mindful of our identity as members of this community, we feel called to participate actively in various care networks. We recognize our interdependence and the need to collaborate with others. We want to join those who work on behalf of the most disadvantaged and all those who are forced to leave their places of origin: migrants, refugees, and displaced persons. Their situation challenges us and drives us to seek concrete ways of showing solidarity and offering support. It is essential to identify the networks already existing in our immediate surroundings and to discern our real possibilities for participation. In all of this, care for our common home and a spirituality of care emerge as an inescapable priority. We are inspired by the encyclicals *Laudato si’* and *Fratelli tutti*, which draw us into a constant process of personal, communal, and institutional conversion.”
We’re all invited to join in
We invite you to actively participate in this Season of Creation, from September 1 to October 4, as a special time to pray, reflect, and take action for environmental justice and peace.
You can find the liturgical and educational resources available on the official website for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, which include the texts for the Mass for the Care of Creation, as well as educational materials and pastoral resources for communities.
You can also download the 2026 Celebration Guide for the Season of Creation, which includes resources, prayers, and suggestions for experiencing this season as a community under the theme “Living Water.”
Let us remember that this season is not just another annual observance: it is an ethical and theological call to care for creation and to weave networks of care as an expression of Trinitarian love, in communion and self-giving.
