What is Live Simply?

The Live Simply Award has been developed by CAFOD in response to Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical letter Laudato Si – on Care for Our Common Home.

The title comes from St. Francis of Assisi and means Praise be to You. The letter was addressed not only to Catholics – or other Christians or people of other faiths – but to everyone. Its theme is the danger to our Common Home of climate change and how the way we live contributes to it.

Pope Francis looks at many aspects of modern life, and brings out their impact on the planet and especially on the poor, who suffer most from the effects of climate change. It is an urgent call to us to examine how we live and use all the gifts God has given us in our beautiful planet. It is easy to read but very challenging!

If you would like to know more about Laudato Si:

You can read the encyclical here.
You can see a series of short videos (about 15 minutes each) by Fr Dan Horan OFM Conv. explaining Laudato Si here.

What does the Live Simply Award Involve?

There are three themes to the award – living Simply, Sustainably and in Solidarity with the Poor. Church or school communities – or both – need to undertake one large action – something that is a big change or involves a lot of people – and two small actions in each category.

If you’d like to know more about the award go to the CAFOD website.

You can watch a 3 minute video about the Live Simply award and the effect it has had in parishes here.

There are now 6 Live Simply Parishes and Schools in the Liverpool Archdiocese, including St Anne’s, as well as 9 schools who are working for the award, and 70 Live Simply communities in England.

Look out for our Live Simply plaque on the wall of the church porch and the Romero Cross above it – a present from St Bede’s Live Simply Primary School in Widnes.