This year we are Lucky that our Laudato Si annual event will be graced with something new. Whereas we have been celebrating our Laudato Si Festival with Green Laudato Si Masses this year its special because our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday  j9 July, 2025 celebrated an open air mass praying for the world to recognize the urgency of the climate crisis and “hear the cry of the poor,” as he celebrated the first papal Mass using a new set of prayers and readings inspired by Pope Francis’ environmental legacy.

As young people dedicated to promoting Pope Francis’ ecological Legacy and with this special program of Laudato Si Green Festivals designed to unite people to pray and reflect on our responsibility to care for creation and journey with those suffering because of Climate Change that is also causing lack of peace, our Laudato Si Club at Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S will open its festival with a Mass for the Care of Creation.

This festival will aim to celebrate:
1️⃣ The promulgation of the Day for the  Care of Creation as a feast day in the Church by Pope Leo on July 9, 2025
2️⃣ The Jubilee Year and Our Pilgrims of Green Hope Campaign as part of the jubilee celebration of the Youth and to inspire more care for creation activities
3️⃣ The 10th Anniversary of Laudato Si’ and pray for those affected by climate Change and lack peace

All celebrations will be guided by the inspiring theme:

 “Sowing Seeds of Peace and Hope for Creation”

You May ask what is the Laudato Si Green Festival?

The Laudato Si’ Green Festival is a Laudato youth-led environmental action program/event organized by the Laudato Youth initiative (LYI) with its different Laudato Si clubs aimed at mobilizing young people in prayer, reflection, and practical action to care for our common home. The festival provides a platform for intergenerational dialogue, mentorship, and the promotion of climate resilience. This time we are in Eastern Uganda and our Laudato Si’ Club of Holy Cross Lake View is the host (LSiC-HCLV) Over 1500 youth are expected to attend.

 Program

18th July – Community Clean up

Community Clean up – Bugembe Town Council (Living our pledge to eliminate single use plastics and Saying No Saying pollution) – A gesture aimed at raising public awareness and community service. In addition on 19th our eco exhibitions will unveil their technology-backed cleanup efforts of smart dustbins designed to enhance garbage collection in schools to reduce pollution.

19th July – Laudato Si Mass

Objective

Our aim is to deepen their understanding of how faith traditions, such as Laudato Si’ and Catholic Social Teaching, can guide us toward sustainable living and transformative action. In doing so, we hope to form a generation of youth who will highlight and keep alive the ecological legacy of Pope Francis and Ugandas strong roots of integral ecology embded in the story of the Uganda Martyrs, more so St. Adolf Patron Saint of Ecology and Hardsmen, in an Agricultural and spiritual tourism economy like Uganda.

Program

7:00AM-8:00AM – Arrival of partners, schools and all invited guests – Holy Cross Parish Bugembe

Our Laudato Si Club

This integral ecological event encourages behavioral change and sustainable living at the family, institutional, and community levels. Through Laudato Si Club at Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S we are enhancing CRS and grassroots initiatives, that will empower young people with knowledge, skills and tools to address pressing ecological issues and become active care takers of God creation.

The highlight of the festival is the Open-Air Green Mass, where students and club members gather to celebrate the gift of God’s creation, pray for people affected by climate change, raise awareness about the dangers, seek divine guidance, and reaffirm their shared commitment to environmental justice. United by faith and inspired by nature, participants stand as ambassadors of hope, honoring the sacredness of creation and advocating for a sustainable future.

In the words of Pope Francis:”

This culture of care for the environment  is not simply a ‘green’ — I say it in the true sense of the word — attitude, it isn’t just a ‘green”’attitude, it’s much more than that. Taking care of the environment means having an attitude of human ecology. That is, we cannot say that mankind is here and Creation, the environment, is there. Ecology is total, it’s human. This is what I sought to express in the Encyclical Laudato Si’: man cannot be separated from the rest; there is a relationship which is reciprocally influential, both the environment on the person, and the person in a way which affects the environment; and the effect bounces back to man when the environment is mistreated…. it’s a social encyclical’. For in society, in the social life of mankind, we cannot forget to take care of the environment. Moreover, looking after the environment is a social attitude, which socializes us,

So Laudato Si  – Praise be to you, my Lord’ comes to us as a gift and this explains the reason why our Laudato Si Green Festivals begin with Mass.  Pope Francis’ warning that “peace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes, which cannot be separated and treated individually” (92) informs our event theme; “Sowing Seeds of Peace and Hope for Creation” as a way to go forward, building on his ecological legacy that has been strongly emphasized by Pope Leo XIV who challenges us to “keep building bridges.” for ecological and social justice who also invited institutions to “engaging in a synodal work of discernment in preparation for COP30.

And now we re glad that On July 9, 2025, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the first “Mass for the Care of Creation”, with a new formulary of the Roman Missal, produced by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and presented Thursday, July 3, during a press conference at the Vatican. This raises voice for our Laudato Si Festival which has been a care for creation event that also promotes Green Masses

Our Previous Laudato Si Green Festival

Laudato Youth people interact with Fr. Leonard Olobo, C.S.C., Chairperson Board of Governers John Paul II Justice and Peace Centre and receipt of the Premio San Giovanni Paolo II Vatican Award 2024 – Learn more from his interview with EWTN after the 2024 Laudato Si Green Mass on the feast Day for the Care of Creation.

After Mass Activities

Laudato Youth joined by their chaplain Fr. Nichodemus Kisonga, CSC and Fr. Leonard Olobo, CSC for tree planting after Mass

Laudato Youth take a laudato Si Walk to raise awareness in the community and plant trees as a community engagement activity

 Community engagement activity

Community eco-expo

Find out More about the Laudato Si Club of Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S

Why the Laudato Si Green Festival?

To raise awareness about the ongoing climate crisis and model a meaningful response, we draw inspiration from Matthew 8:24–34—just as Jesus calmed the stormy sea, we too are called to stand together and bring hope. We stand side by side to offer reassurance to young people and those who suffer the effects of climate change, we focus on young people because they are the ones who are increasingly anxious about what their future holds in the face of climate change. Through our collective efforts in Laudato Si Clubs that conduct the Laudato Si Festival, we aim to encourage local collaboration and promote corporate social responsibility fostering environmental stewardship and deeper community engagement.

Our event partners

🔗 Visit the Laudato Youth Initiative website: https://www.laudatoyouth.org
🎥 Watch inspiring youth climate stories: Laudato Youth YouTube Channel

By supporting or partnering with us for the Laudato Si Green Festival, you are helping sow seeds of peace, hope, and ecological justice for Uganda’s next generation of leaders. Together, we can build a more just, and sustainable future.

For partnership & inquiries email: laudatoyouthinitiative@gmail.com

Whatsapp: +256701571573