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Pope Francis announcing the Journey

In October 2021, Dr. Al Miciak, President of John Carroll University, signed a pledge on behalf of the University to join the first cohort of colleges and universities  to answer Pope Francis’ call to join the Vatican’s Seven Year Journey to Become a Laudato Si' Campus." “Laudato Si’,”  Click here to watch the video of President Miciak Announcing John Carroll University joining the Journey to become a Laudato Si' Campus during Mission Week 2022.

President Miciak explains that Laudato Si'  “is the Pope’s 2015 encyclical on Integral Ecology. Over the next 7 years, we will be one of over a hundred universities to take concrete steps to promote ecological education and simplified lifestyles, reduce our carbon footprint, invest and spend responsibly, and listen carefully to the voices of those who are poor and most adversely affected by climate change.” 

To begin the journey, JCU will establish a university-wide committee that will develop a John Carroll Laudato Si' Action Plan to advance each of the seven Laudato Si' goals, which are mapped to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: 

  • To respond to the cry of the Earth, 
  • To respond to the cry of those who are poor and vulnerable, 
  • To foster ecological economics,
  • To adopt sustainable lifestyles, 
  • To develop and offer ecological education,
  • To promote an ecological spirituality; and
  • To Support local communities
  • To promote community resilience and empowerment. 

Between now and May 2023, the official end of the last year of the Journey, the Committee will complete a baseline assessment and plot a proposed pathway for the University.  Each year, the University will complete and share a progress report.