Bending the Arc

Lent is a sacred season of conversion and renewal, a return to the heart that prepares us to celebrate the Paschal Mystery of Christ, who reveals love lived to the extreme. In the silence of the desert, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we learn to love as Jesus loves: listening to the suffering of the world, carrying the weight of the cross, and opening paths of new life for all who share our common home.

By cultivating a contemplative heart, we learn to discern the voice of God amid the cries of the Earth and the poor. This spiritual discernment transforms our action at its root, shaping a faith that unites contemplation, ecological conversion, and justice, and enabling us to proclaim with hope the promise of Easter for all creation.

You are invited to participate in a Lenten Journey with the Laudato Si Movement, Returning to the Heart. Visit https://laudatosimovement.org/lent/ for a guided contemplative meditation video and attune your heart to the heartbeat of creation and to the Heart of Christ. You can also sign up for Weekly Lenten Reflections and Daily Prayer. It’s not too late to begin the journey.

No doubt many of you had been following the Buddhist monks “Walk for Peace” since they began their pilgrimage in Texas, October 2025. They walked daily for 15 weeks/108 days/2300 miles.

They reached their final destination in Washington D.C. on February 10. After arriving in the US Capital, the monks visited the Washington National Cathedral where they attended an interfaith service. The next day, they made a stop at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial where they gave thanks to all of their supporters along the way, and delivered a final meditative message that the world needs to hear. 

Upon an internet search, you will find hundreds of photos, videos and articles from many sources throughout their journey. Find these when you need a “pick me up.” You will be glad you did!
 

One hundred days into the ceasefire, the World Food Programme (WFP) has significantly expanded its lifesaving operations across the Gaza Strip, reaching more than 1 million people each month. While critical progress has been made in pushing back famine, the situation remains extremely fragile. Sustained access through all crossings, the flow of humanitarian and commercial goods, and the continuation of the ceasefire are essential to prevent Gaza from sliding back into catastrophic hunger.

Follow this link to read the latest updates on WFP operations and food security in Gaza.

It is easy to forget that every web search completed, every single email, and every social media update posted requires the consumption of energy. The hidden costs of carbon emissions from infrastructure and processes involved in data transmission and storage accounts for 6 to 10% of global electricity or 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. This is equivalent to all the air traffic in the world.

Did you know that just two of the AI data center projects approved in Wisconsin will use more energy than all the homes in the state combined?! A single AI data center could also use more water than an entire city when offsite withdrawals are factored in.

The Sustainable Agency maintains a list of research studies showing the climate impact of generative AI. For example, a June 2025 study showed that “Every type of query to a chatbot requires energy and leads to carbon emissions. However, queries that ask AI chatbots to think logically and reason require more energy than other types of straightforward questions. For example, queries asking about philosophy or abstract algebra lead to more carbon emissions than simple questions like the well defined history of a given topic. Some complex prompts can lead to 50x the carbon emissions than others.” (Frontiers, 2025). Read the full list.

Data centers hold data for more than just AI, though, and right now in Wisconsin, we have 40 data centers. What are a few things each of us can do to reduce the need to build more data centers and save energy and water? 
 

1. Clean up digital clutter by:
    
   • deleting old emails and files reduces the demand on storage
   • muting inactive channels
   • avoid sending unnecessary replies
   • clearing out junk mail.
2. Whenever possible, type in the actual web address instead of performing a search and be specific with your keywords in order to cut down on the number of results that are returned.
3. Streaming is one of the internet’s biggest carbon contributors. For example, one hour of video conferencing produces anywhere from 150 to 1000 grams of CO2 per hour. An average mid-size car burns about 400-500 grams of CO2 per mile of driving. Turning cameras off reduces the energy consumption of the call by up to 96% if all cameras are off - similar to a phone call.
4. Log off when you can! Go outside, read a physical book. Digital downtime is good for your mental health, too. 
    

Try as we may to be environmentally sustainable, throwaway routines are part of nearly every facet of our lives, from food and drinks to clothes and activities. While more people carry reusable water bottles, too many other daily activities still involve throwaway stuff. A number of countries around the world, especially those with limited land space, have decreased the amount of waste sent to landfills and increased their reuse, composting and recycling. However, waste generation in the United States continues to rise. Americans constitute just 4% of the world’s population, but generate about 12% of the world’s waste.

Huge amounts of single use packaging are part of the fast food industry. One estimate of McDonald's waste is the production of three tons of packaging garbage every minute. A program reignited at the Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon is a model for waste reduction and sustainability that other airports and organizations should emulate. Titled The Green Plate Program, it is described as the first reusable dish program at a U.S. airport. When travelers order food at one of the participating restaurants, they have the option of using a real dish, cup, and utensils. There are drop-off sites for the reusable materials after use. There are also to-go containers that can be returned. When the project was piloted, there was a 73% drop in waste.

Numerous polls show that most consumers are interested in making sustainable choices, but too often options do not exist. The Portland Airport leaders expect that other American airports will adopt their program and give hungry passengers an opportunity to pass on disposables. Meanwhile, individuals can plan ahead to limit purchases that create unnecessary garbage. Imagine if people collectively choose zero waste on airplanes, where passengers are either prepared with their reusable containers or airlines go back to the “old” ways of using cups that they wash and reuse. Solutions exist when care for the earth is a priority.  

Read more about how the Green Plate Program works here.

This article was copied from a February 14, 2026, writing from Green Junction, a weekly column from St. Maria Goretti Parish in Dyer, IN written by Julie Peller, PhD.

Sign up to receive more creation care news like this from Julie by emailing her at julierpel@gmail.com. You will receive approximately one email weekly, each about a 2-minute read.

 

Who Belongs? Who is Protected? What kind of country are we choosing to be? The answers to these questions do not just shape our immigration policies. They also ripple through families, workplaces, schools, and entire communities. Many of which are built and sustained by immigrants.

Get a good look at ICE and Immigration in America in this very well-written article from the Sisters of Providence, co-authored by Providence Associates Dr. Pearlette Springer and Jane Fischer as part of the JUSTus Podcast, Episode 23 
 

During WWII, Norwegians began wearing red knit caps as a sign of resistance to the Nazis who had occupied the area. On February 26, 1942, the wearing of such hats was outlawed as a sign of protest. Minnesotans have recently brought this story back to life as a quiet protest of ICE> Watch this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeFmB9zR4HA 

Therefore, this year, on Thursday, February 26, inspired by the Norwegian Resistance Movement, please consider joining the nonviolent Red Hat Resistance to show your support of democracy, humanity and until across political, ethnic, and religious aisles.

Watch this video to learn more, read this NPR article or visit redhatfactory.com.

The red hat Tracy is wearing in this picture was made by her CSA colleague, Dena Rose Kryzanowski.
 

The Season for Nonviolence marks the annual 64-day period between the memorial anniversary of the assassination of Mohandas K. Gandhi on January 30 and that of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4. Co-founded in 1998 by Arun and Sunanda Gandhi and the Association for Global New Thought, the Season teaches that every person can move the world forward in the direction of peace through daily nonviolent choices and actions. 

The U.S. Federation of Sisters of Saint Joseph invites you to embrace the path of nonviolence this Lent by participating in their State of the Heart virtual gatherings, Mondays at 11 am CT, beginning February 23. Learn more and register here.

The Franciscan Peace Center has created this series of daily one-minute video reflections on nonviolence recorded by the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa.  These inspiring messages will be released daily throughout the Season for Nonviolence. You can view them from their website or CLICK HERE to receive the daily reflections in your email.

AND if you haven’t heard yet, Pace Bene is making the whole year of 2026 The Year of Nonviolent Solutions by sharing uplifting stories and nonviolent solutions that work. Get involved! With education and action, people across the United States and around the world will be working together to bring these solutions to our communities. Learn more here.