I attended Pope Leo’s Mass for the Care of Creation. Here’s what it taught me about love of neighbor.

['Molly Wysocki', 'More Molly Wysocki', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] America Magazine 2025-09-12 00:00:00

My belief was recently reaffirmed during my participation at the inaugural Mass for the Care of Creation on July 9. A new formulary now added to the Roman Missal, the Mass was celebrated by Pope Leo XIV for the staff of Borgo Laudato Si’, an initiative of the Vatican created by Pope Francis and focused on integral ecology and sustainability. As both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV have reiterated, a collective conversion of heart stands as the ultimate goal. The Mass for the Care of Creation offers an accessible starting point to harness this hope for the common good. May we live inside our hope and act as neighbors, holding each other in love, through love, and with love, as we were originally made to do.