Marilyn Kott Wants Action by All on the Environment
Hugh Menton interviews Marilyn Kott, Chicago Chapter
Marilyn grew up during the ‘70s, when the EPA was formed, and Americans became aware of the harm caused by reliance on fossil fuels and chemicals. She says, “I always thought I was environmentally conscious, and then in 2017, I watched a documentary called “A Plastic Ocean.” It broke my heart and caused me to take a hard look at what my daily habits were doing to our world. … Much of the devastating effects of plastic waste is avoidable, but we have to open our eyes.”
Marilyn and her colleague, Celine Woznica, invited Maryknoll Affiliates worldwide to help create Laudato Si’ Action Platform Worksheets.
1. Could you describe the Laudato Si'-inspired group you helped to initiate?
Our Chicago Affiliate Chapter had decided to focus its 2022-23 meetings on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP), the international Catholic effort to respond to Pope Francis’ call to better care for the Earth and the poor. LSAP is meant to help people transform their lives toward environmental sustainability in the spirit of Laudato Si’ and is organized around seven goals.
The Laudato Si’ Platform Worksheets are available at https://godsplanet.us/maryknoll-affiliates-lsap-goals-worksheets.
As we began to prepare materials for our monthly chapter meetings, Celine realized that our work might be helpful to Affiliates worldwide. We recruited from across the global Affiliate network and formed a special Working Group.
Over the course of six months, our Working Group created seven worksheets, one per LSAP Goal, with the idea of helping North Americans understand actions and lifestyle changes they could take to meet the LSAP goals. The worksheets (and accompanying materials) have been widely distributed in the Affiliate movement and through the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns and Catholic Climate Covenant websites.
2. What were your first steps?
I learned to speak up. Not all Catholics have heard that caring for the environment is a requirement of our faith and one of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching. In 2019, as I returned to the US from mission as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in Brazil, I learned that a ministry based on the environmental call of Laudato Si’ could happen in Catholic churches, so I began to speak up in my faith and church circles, including the Maryknoll Affiliates.
Marilyn (left) and friends work on habitat restoration in San Timoteo Nature Sanctuary.
I found many people shared this calling, but most US residents weren’t aware that many of our daily actions, especially when compounded, are needlessly harmful to the environment. The busy-ness of daily life, the effectiveness of advertising, and the allure of convenience and price work to keep the harm of our actions in the background. The environment was something to worry about, but ways to take concrete, individual action weren’t so clear.
To expand the LSAP’s intended audience to Affiliates worldwide, we created a schedule to ensure publication of all worksheets by Easter 2023 and invited people to join a working group. Developing worksheets to help guide participants in North America seemed appropriate to where I was and to the sentiments of the Chicago Affiliates. Several dedicated, talented people responded.
3. How did you stay committed to the journey when obstacles arose?
Having a Working Group of people who really care about our Common Home gave me and the group energy. Personal prayer was an important source of energy for me, and I believe that reflection on Scripture and the encyclical (Laudato Si’) itself provided a lot of inspiration. The Holy Spirit has been with us since the first day.
4. How did next steps arise?
We realized we needed an approachable looking worksheet, able to convey a lot of material without overwhelming people. We created a template with what we believe is a logical, recognizable flow. We incorporated prayer and reflection from Scripture and Catholic Social teaching to help people consider where the Lord is leading them with respect to lifestyle decisions. We included suggestions for household and personal actions based on reliable environmental research and added suggested advocacy actions. We hoped this would help participants consider ways in which they can pray, learn, act, and advocate on behalf of our Common Home, in a way that reflects the life that our Lord is calling us to.
Marilyn and another ministry member sort plastic for recycling.
Robert Short, the Executive Coordinator of Maryknoll Affiliates, was supportive immediately, getting the word out globally. The Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns did likewise, and then the Catholic Climate Covenant placed them on its website for the US Catholic audience.
In fact, the Catholic Climate Covenant said that until then nothing like this was available to help guide American Catholics intentionally through the LSAP. Now, getting the word out about the worksheets and encouraging people to engage in the LSAP seems to be the focus of the Working Group.
5. Do you have any advice for those seeking to initiate reflection and action related to Laudato Si'?
“Be not afraid,” this journey will bring you joy! Start where you can. God doesn’t expect any one of us to solve the whole environmental crisis ourselves, but God surely expects each of us to do what we can. Approaching this topic in a group, and from a faith perspective, is very helpful. We think the worksheets are structured so that any person or group can follow them over the course of 6–7 months as a faith journey, just as they would read a book or follow any program together.
Pope Francis has given the world a precious gift by speaking up for all of Creation, and by publishing Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Above all, Laudato Si’ is a book about gratitude for all that God shares with us. In it, the Holy Father reminds us of the life that God intends for us, a life which centers on relationship and generosity, and not on possessions.
Note: Pope Francis has recently expressed his intention to write another Laudato Si’ encyclical.