All are invited as the Catholic and Greek Orthodox communities of greater Chicagoland join together for an ecumenical service to give thanks for God’s gift of creation and to recognize the conservation efforts of His disciples.

The Vespers will be followed by a reception and a lecture by James F. Puglisi, SA

Creation and Ecumenism: Toward a Shared Christian Witness in an Ecological Age Franciscan Friar James F. Puglisi, SA examines care for creation as an emerging ecumenical locus in which diverse Christian traditions find convergence without uniformity. Situating the ecological crisis as a theological challenge, he draws upon Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant insights to articulate a shared anthropological and sacramental vision of creation. He proposes that a renewed Christian response to the ecological crisis must be grounded in prayer, liturgical awareness, and common witness rooted in the recognition of creation as gift and offering.