The Live Simply Award

 

St John Plessington is dedicated to the ongoing education of children within the mission and vision of the Diocese of Shrewsbury. We acknowledge that parents are the first educators of their children and we support them in this role.

As a school, we have registered to complete the Live Simply Award with CAFOD. The Live Simply Award recognises the work of Catholic Schools who pledge to live out the message of Pope Francis’ in Laudato Si.

Laudato Si’ is an encyclical (a letter) written by Pope Francis addressed not just to Catholics, but to everyone in the world. Laudato Si’ – On the Care of our Common Home, is a reminder that, “we need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family.”
 

Pope Francis teaches us that a right relationship with the earth is as much part of the Church’s moral teaching as a right relationship with God and our neighbour. 

Laudato Si’ urges us to change our lifestyle, to treat nature with respect, to be deeply aware of the interconnectedness of all God’s creation and to live simply and without wastefulness.

As part of our work to become a ‘Live Simply School’ we have pledged to nine actions across the next year which are school based, local to our community and global. These actions include our ongoing support of the Wirral Food Bank, fundraising for CAFOD and working with our eco groups to educate others about the need for sustainability. 

To earn this award, we need to show as a school we are living:

• Simply – Encouraging our families to consume less in our daily lives. Taking the time to be more reflective, prayerful and considerate to others.
• In solidarity with the poor- being aware that other people might be experiencing difficulties, vulnerabilities, injustice or exclusion.
• Sustainably with creation- learning ways that can help rebalance our relationship with the environment. Remembering that God gave us this Earth for us to care for.

“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.”

― Pope Francis, Laudato Si