Step-by-Step Toward a Laudato Si’ Action Plan

During Earth Week 2022, Molloy University announced that it was convening a committee to meet the seven goals of Laudato Sí, the 2015 encyclical by Pope Francis on care for the environment.

Since then, the University’s 32-member Laudato Si’ Action Plan committee, which includes representatives from the faculty, staff, students, and administration, has been busy beginning to map out what will be a five-year journey for “how we can all work together to care for our common home,” said Catherine Muscente, vice president for mission and ministry at Molloy University.

“How do we achieve that among all the various aspects of who we are as a Molloy community?” she asked.

Ms. Muscente and Connie Lasher, Ph.D., professor of theology and religious studies, are co-chairs of the Laudato Si’ Action Plan committee.

The initial Vatican communication requesting that Molloy register as a Laudato Si’ University arrived in September 2021. University President James Lentini discussed the initiative with several members of his cabinet before signing off on the project the following month.

The work is divided into five sectors, and committee members are each involved in one or two sectors. The sectors are student initiatives, community engagement, facilities operations, curriculum, and planning and administration.

The final sector was necessary to tie into the University’s multi-year planning and budgeting and to create marketing possibilities and build awareness of the action plan across the full university community, Ms. Muscente said.

In the fall, the draft action plan will be introduced to the community along with short-term, mid-range and long-range goals. The plan will also be connected to the University’s other strategic initiatives happening concurrently during its five-year span.

The seven goals of Laudato Si’, as promoted by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, are Response to the Cry of the Earth, Response to the Cry of the Poor, Ecological Economics, Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyles, Ecological Education, Ecological Spirituality and Community Engagement and Participatory Action. Laudato Si’ is regarded as the most comprehensive Vatican document on environmentalism, ethics and Christian faith.

In the announcement of the University’s participation, President Lentini explained, “This Plan will serve as a foundational and guiding document for how we will proceed as a community to foster sustainability both in our campus life and operations and through our curriculum and engagement with the broader community.”

He added, “In the next five years we will implement concrete action steps identified in the Plan. Evaluation of the community, ideas for implementation, and concrete action require the contributions of the entire University community.  

In gathering information for the draft action plan, committee members compiled an “environmental scan” about what Molloy is already doing and how the campus community at large can be alerted about such efforts, as well as what more could and should be done in the future, Ms. Muscente said.

She described recycling initiatives championed by Molloy Student Government and the Facilities Department, which under assistant vice president James Multari created a webpage on the university site highlighting sustainability practices already in place for recycling and energy and water conservation efforts, among other efforts.

Ms. Muscente said, “We’re very excited about the conversation and that so many people are interested in this topic, but we’re also very aware that there is more that we can be doing and that the five-year plan will help guide us.”

Successful efforts most often spring from increasing awareness and proceeding in a deliberate manner, she explained. A good example is the “Did You Know?” campaign which publicized various campus environmental initiatives during Earth Week in late April.

The first endeavor was a thrift store emphasizing recycled and reused goods, which this year featuring a university-wide call for donations of books, clothing and electronics for fellow students and student clubs. Any excess donations that couldn’t be matched on campus were passed to nonprofit organizations such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Other “Did You Know?” topics included information about recycling computers through the University’s IT department, a how-to for recycling toner and a pitch for using hydration stations set up throughout campus.

Looking at the University’s “response to the cry of the poor,” both locally and globally, Ms. Muscente spoke about the food pantry on campus and international service programs in which students participate to see how to best assess needs and analyze potential growth and outreach.

Students participating in the sector subcommittees have questioned their classmates about recycling programs, and those involved in the Earth Club, Nature Club and Student Government sustainability efforts are another natural source of interest and support for Molloy’s Laudato Si’ action plan.

A group of faculty members, led by Dr. Lasher, are reviewing Laudato Si’ principles and actions to see how they can fit into the curriculum offered to students.

“For this to work, it needs to be this holistic approach where you can touch people in such a way that it is impactful,” Ms. Muscente said.