From Nepal to Castel Gandolfo, the global Church marks Creation Day with the new Mass

Pope Leo XIV will preside over the Mass for the Care of Creation on September 1, as dioceses and parishes in Africa and across continents prepare to mark the World Day with the new liturgical formulary

On September 1, the universal Church will celebrate the 11th Journée mondiale de prière pour la création, also known as Creation Day. With the new Mass for the Care of Creation, promulgated by Pope Leo XIV, this year’s celebration is expected to be even more widespread.

Pope Leo himself will lead the global observance by presiding over a liturgical celebration of Creation Day with the new Mass on Tuesday, September 1, at the Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo, in the iconic Garden of the “Little Madonna.”

The World Day of Prayer comes just days after the publication of the Holy Father’s message for this year’s celebration. Under the theme “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks,” inspired by the prophet Isaiah, the Pope links armed conflict with the environmental crisis and calls for a personal and collective conversion to build peace and care for creation.

A new Mass to celebrate Creation Day

Pope Leo’s decision to once again preside over a celebration of the Mass for the Care of Creation, following the inaugural Mass last year after its promulgation, underscores his intention that the universal Church follows his example by making use of the new liturgy on September 1.

Incorporated into the Roman Missal, the new Mass includes a specific set of liturgical prayers and Scripture readings centered on creation, allowing the World Day to be celebrated with a Eucharistic formulary specifically dedicated to this theme.

When it was announced last year, the Dicastery for Divine Worship explained that the Mass had been promulgated with a view to its possible use on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

Encouragement from continental bishops’ bodies

In recent months, continental bishops’ bodies and ecclesial networks have encouraged dioceses and parishes around the world to celebrate Creation Day using the new Mass.

Organizations such as CELAM, CCEE, SECAM and FABC, together with other entities including the USG-UISG global networks of religious congregations, organized an online event to explore the significance of the World Day of Prayer and explain the practical aspects of the new liturgical celebration.

“The new Mass is a significant step to enable our liturgical celebrations of this special day, aligning our faith and deeds. Ultimately, the Eucharistic celebration of Creation Day is an opportunity to celebrate God as Creator and renew our appreciation of the sacred gift of creation, while inspiring us to care for it more fervently,” said Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, Chair of the Office for Human Development at the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.

These same Church institutions also launched WorldDayCreation.com, which brings together liturgical and pastoral resources to help communities prepare their celebrations for September 1 or, when pastoral circumstances suggest it, the following weekend.

National celebrations around the world

Many national bishops’ conferences have already completed translations of the new Mass, making it available in a growing number of countries. Bishops’ conferences in Africa, Asia, Latin America and other regions are promoting celebrations through pastoral letters, liturgical materials and other initiatives.

One of the most significant examples is the Catholic Church in Nepal, a country currently at the center of international attention following the tragic flash floods that devastated several communities on August 26. “The present disaster in Nepal, the Flash Flood, is due to not caring for our common home. Let us be conscious of preserving our environment,” said Fr. Silas Bogati, Apostolic Administrator in Nepal. Bogati also stated: “All Nepali parishes and ecclesial communities are to celebrate Creation Day using the formulary and lectionary of the Mass for the Care of Creation.”

“High in the Himalayas, melting ice triggered a devastating flash flood that swept over thousands of people and households. Nepal accounts for less than 0.1% of global carbon emissions – yet, our people are paying for the world’s pollution with their lives,” said Sr. Cecilia Durga Shrestha, Executive Director of Caritas Nepal. “We urge all Catholics worldwide to join us and the Holy Father in widespread liturgical celebrations of Creation Day, praying for the countless victims of this disaster and for urgent attention to the root cause of this tragedy: the sinful disrespect of God’s creation.”

Africa is a region where bishops also have been very active encouraging the Creation Day celebrations. For instance, Bishop Robert Mphiwe, Chairperson of the Liturgy Committee of the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops’ Conference, wrote in a pastoral letter: “The SACBC has embraced this call and instructs all parishes in the region to celebrate the votive Mass on 1 September… Southern Africa is already facing unexpected and uncontrollable flooding as natural seasons become increasingly disrupted… We encourage every parish to respond to this call by observing the Season of Creation as an urgent and important time of prayer.”

An observance with ancient roots and ecumenical character

Creation Day is celebrated every year on September 1 and draws inspiration from an ancient liturgical feast of the Eastern Church that associates this date with God’s act of creation. The commemoration of the creation of the world thus becomes a motivation to care for the fruit of that creative act, the created world.

In 2015, Pope Francis formally instituted the Journée mondiale de prière pour la création for the Catholic Church, joining an observance already promoted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church and embraced by other Christian Churches.

The World Day also marks the beginning of the Saison de création, an ecumenical observance that continues through October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

The celebrations will take place amid multiple extreme heatwaves breaking records in different parts of the world. The United Nations recently warned that “the climate alarm is blaring from every direction.”

SECAM New,

with Laudato Si’ Movement