As a part of its social justice speaker series, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Atlanta, GA, hosted an Encounter GA advocacy workshop. The workshop, hosted on September 28th, focused on nonpartisan advocacy strategies for individuals, families, and parish communities interested in responding to Pope Francis’s call in Laudato Si’ to care for creation.

The workshop provides a brief overview of Catholic Social Teaching and scriptural teachings on the environment, and then invites participants to explore how they might respond using the See-Judge-Act model for social change.

In the wake of Pope Francis’s passing, Catholic leaders across Georgia are deepening their commitment to care for our common home—a call central to his papacy and to the Church’s broader mission of ecological conversion.

A recent WSB-TV feature highlighted the work of several metro Atlanta parishes including St. John Newmann responding to the Holy Father’s call by launching sustainability initiatives and educational efforts within their communities. From solar panel installations to parish gardens and energy audits, these faithful actions are tangible expressions of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’s encyclical that challenges us as a moral imperative to “hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

On August 31, 2024, Encounter GA led an Advocacy Workshop at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Atlanta, GA as a part of the Focloare Maripolois retreat. This gathering brought together members of the Focolare Movement, a global community dedicated to fostering unity and dialogue. The event reflected the heart of Encounter Georgia’s mission: empowering communities to advocate for justice, care for creation, and the common good.