Justice, Peace and Human Dignity

You can read more about the scholarship behind Salpointe's Ancestry, Community, Diversity and Ecology Statement here.

In 2015, Pope Francis wrote his second encyclical, titled Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home, calling the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental challenges and to join him in embarking on a new path. 

Salpointe Catholic wasted no time embracing the Pope's appeal, bringing together faculty members from our theology, science, humanities and social studies departments to create a curriculum that resonates with high school students.

Salpointe's Laudato Si curriculum was presented at the International Congress of Carmelite Schools in Rome, Italy in 2017 and is now used in Spanish and English throughout the world.

In the years since, Salpointe has continued to embrace Laudato Si teachings and has made them an integral part of campus life:

• Salpointe's Care for Creation Committee, made up of faculty, staff and students, has been meeting and advocating for greater sustainability on campus since 2015.
• Environmental Science students regularly practice sustainability with activities such as EcoBrick making, hosting an "Eat-an-Invertebrate" Thanksgiving Potluck, and planting and harvesting the STEM Garden.
• In 2021, Salpointe introduced our inaugural Care for Creation Award to recognize a Lancer for his/her efforts to promote environmental justice, advocate for lifestyle change and integrate mindful spirituality into his/her relationship with nature. 
• History faculty member Brian Holstrom authored a paper, titled The Case for Ecology and the Environment in World History, which he presented at the 2019 World Historical Association Convention and was published in 2021 in the association's journal, World History Connected.
• Salpointe hosted the National Laudato Si Showcase in 2020, bringing together 13 schools and dioceses from around the U.S. to share progress and plans for living the values of Laudato Si.
• Fr. Eduardo Scarel, O.Carm., nicknamed the Pope's Climatologist, has visited campus twice and spoken to our community about our role in protecting and healing the planet.