Bishop Stowe: Lexington’s Laudato si’ plan seeks to ‘cherish Creation’

By Devin Watkins

“We hope to meet our goal of being carbon net-zero by 2030, which is pretty close at hand.”

Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv, of the Diocese of Lexington in the US state of Kentucky, shared that desire for his diocese’s recently launched Laudato Si’ Action Plan.

In an interview with Vatican News, Bishop Stowe said the initiative seeks to respond to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, which marks its 10th anniversary this year, as well as his further guidance in his 2023 Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum.

Launched on January 1, the Laudato Si’ Action Plan seeks to encourage Catholics to embrace co-responsibility for “renewal, evangelization, and engagement through Care for Creation ministries,” according to a press release.

In 2024, the Diocese of Lexington announced its goal to reach Net-Zero by 2030 for its Scope 2 emissions, which are greenhouse gas emissions related to the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling.

Parishes are already working together to achieve that goal, with representatives meeting in late November to pray and complete the Action Plan.

Solar panels at the Church of the Holy Family in Booneville, Kentucky

Parish involvement

Bishop Stowe tied the initiative with the Jubilee theme that “Hope Does Not Disappoint.”

During the 2025 Holy Year, Pope Francis has urged Catholics to embrace forgiveness and cancel debts, which includes efforts to mitigate humanity’s debt to God’s Creation.

“It’s a particular challenge in this diocese,” said the Bishop, “because we consist of 50 counties in central and eastern Kentucky. Forty of those counties are Appalachian, and many of them depended on coal for their livelihoods.”

Many people in the Diocese of Lexington still face economic hardship because of the collapse of coal mining, he noted.

The Laudato Si’ Action Plan, added Bishop Stowe, has sought to be sensitive to the workers affected by the transition to renewable energy.

Each parish was involved in creating the plan, and each has set its own goals, some of which are more ambitious than others.

“It’s a challenge to bring together the different dimensions of the diocese,” he said, pointing out that some areas are more affluent while others have higher concentrations of migrants and refugees.

Uniting diocese around a common goal

Even parishes that he initially thought would be reluctant to embrace a more sustainable way of living have taken up the call, some refusing to use disposable cutlery and plates, for example.

Bishop Stowe praised his diocese for responding to the Pope’s invitation in Laudato si’ to care for our common home.

“I hope to continue to see that grow,” he concluded. “It’s been very encouraging, and we hope to see a lot more happening in the coming years.”