Catching up with Victory Noll Sisters Small Grant recipients from years past

For several years, Catholic Climate Covenant has been blessed to offer small grants to Catholic groups and organizations for creation care. These small grants have supported projects, programs, and events across U.S. Catholic communities that advance the spirit of Laudato Si’ and promoted diocesan, parish, and religious order Laudato Si’ and creation care activity across the U.S.

The Covenant recently reached out to small grant recipients from years past to learn more about the progress made on their creation care projects. Several of these grant recipients shared their stories with us. 

NE Vicariate Care for Creation Steering Committee | Portland, Oregon

In 2022, Darlene Maurer was the leader of the NE Vicariate Care for Creation Steering Committee, consisting of the local parishes of St. Mary Magdalene (“The Madeleine”), St. Charles, St. Andrew’s, and Holy Redeemer), located in Portland, Oregon. As the pastoral assistant, she also prepared and submitted a VNS grant application on behalf of the NE Vicariate.

Maurer’s grant application was for sponsorship of an in-person Environmental Enrichment Speakers Series to specifically address three Laudato Si’ Platform initiatives: (1) Ecological Education, (2) Community Resilience and Empowerment, and (3) Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyles.  

“This was planned for the Fall of 2022,” Maurer said. “At the time of the application and due to COVID restrictions, we were in the latter stages of planning a virtual four-week Spring 2022 Environmental Enrichment Speaker Series, culminating in an in-person gathering, dinner, and informational stations.”

Maurer and the Steering Committee received a VNS small grant of $1,000 in July of 2022. Maurer shared more details about the event that was made possible through the grant. 

“While the Spring Speaker Series was very successful, the Steering Committee felt there might be a better way to publicly and broadly reach more culturally-diverse and age-diverse populations,” Maurer said. “Consequently, we switched gears and hosted a showing of the movie, “The Letter,” followed by a Prayer Walk for Climate Justice based on the four cultural groups represented in the movie.”

The four stations established along the nature walk follow the themes of indigenous people, nature and wildlife, youth, and climate refugees. 

“Each station consisted of an opening prayer, brief description of how climate change has affected a specific population (with accompanying personal stories or “parables”), and a closing prayer,” Maurer said. “We used the remaining grant funds to reserve a city park with historical significance to Native Americans, and payment of speaker stipends. This Prayer Walk was wildly successful as a first-time event, drawing approximately 100 people of all ages (with even a few four-legged attendees on hand!)”

Maurer and the NE Vicariate Care for Creation Steering Committee were thankful to receive a Victory Noll Sisters small grant. 

“We are extremely grateful for having received this grant which made it possible to educate a wider population regarding Pope Francis’ leadership in combating climate change and the way in which Catholic Social Teachings call each of us to care for our brothers and sisters around the globe,” Maurer said. “This was a significant means of evangelizing around a common concern affecting the world’s population.”