Villanova University

Inspired by Pope Francis’ papal encyclical, Laudato Si, which calls for Christians to care for creation as an integral part of their faith, the Children, Liturgy, and Ecology Project will invite church leaders and scholars to discover what can happen when our liturgy supports intergenerational engagement with God’s creation. Villanova will form an ecumenical cohort of 24 ministry leaders from 12 Philadelphia-area congregations and parishes who will participate with faculty in a two-year program to examine connections between children’s spirituality, ecology, and liturgy. Cohort participants will attend local pilgrimages to sites of ecological interest and will receive mini-grants to develop projects in their home churches that will create and test practices for enhancing intergenerational, ecologically sensitive worship that honors children’s needs and gifts. To support this work in congregations and parishes, Villanova will commission an album of child-inclusive music integrating faith and ecology. Finally, in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame, Villanova will publish a book series about liturgical formation and a theology of childhood.