BRAINTREE -- "I've always tried to do my little thing by recycling and being aware," says Phil Walsh, co-chair of Catholic Relief Services for the Archdiocese of Boston.

Walsh has cared about environmental issues since childhood. Now in his 70s, he sees the problems of climate change and pollution only getting worse.

"We have to become smarter in terms of how we work with the environment," he told The Pilot on March 13.

Walsh is helping to organize the Archdiocese of Boston's Social Justice Convocation, which will take place at Boston College High School in Dorchester on March 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Now in its 17th year, the convocation is being held as an in-person event for the first since 2019.

The theme of this year's convocation is "Hope for Our Common Home: Catholics Caring for Creation" and will feature a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Richard G. Henning; a keynote address entitled "A Renewed Care for Our Common Home" delivered by Jesuit Father Andrea Vicini, chair of the Boston College Theology Department.

The convocation will also feature a panel discussion representing local, global, student, and government perspectives on climate action, moderated by CatholicTV's Victoria Sechrist. Representatives of Catholic Relief Services will be joined in the discussion by Mary Wambui, an affordable housing asset manager for the Archdiocese of Boston Planning Office for Urban Affairs, and Matt Spearing, director of environmental sustainability for St. John's Prep in Danvers.

"We need to take care of creation as a moral obligation," Deacon Tim Donohue, chair of the Archdiocese of Boston Social Justice Ministry, said March 13. "Our goal is not to have people go out and necessarily close down coal-fired power plants, but rather to look at everything they do in their daily lives to have more care for creation."

The convocation is inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical on the environment, "Laudato Si'," which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. In the decade since its publication, Deacon Donohue feels that the encyclical's words are still not being heeded.

"It seems to us that there just isn't a lot of resonance or action taking place," he said. "We thought that this would be a good time to talk about it."

He said the point of the convocation is to make Catholics view climate change as a faith-based moral issue and show them ways they can reduce their own carbon footprint.

"We want to change how people think about the environment," Deacon Donohue said. "We've taken it for granted for a long, long time and, at least for myself, have never really thought about it until the last 10, 15 years."

The convocation will have a series of workshops about how Catholics can care for creation in their parishes and homes. Workshop topics will include "Eco-Spirituality," "Forming Green Teams: Living 'Laudato Si'' in Your Parish," "Youth Leadership for 'Laudato Si'," "Holy Hospitality: Sustainable Coffees and Suppers for Parish and Home," "Raising Our Voices for Creation," "Parish Weatherization," "Enhancing Stewardship and Climate Resilience through Outdoor Education," "Workforce Transition for a Sustainable Economy," and "Gardening with God's Creation." The workshops will be hosted by representatives of parishes, schools, and ministries throughout the archdiocese, as well as secular organizations such as Manomet Conservation Sciences of Plymouth.

"We're going to have a very robust resource center with all kinds of groups," Strad Engler, co-chair of the Boston Catholic Climate Movement, said on March 13.

He said the convocation will be especially significant because it is closely linked with the theme of the 2025 Jubilee Year, "Pilgrims of Hope."

"One of the things that is really important to remember is that, because we have the gift of God's creation, we have the hope that comes from that," he said. "And we are being called to take care of it."

He hopes the convocation will inspire what he likes to call "eco-conversion" -- being inspired by gratitude for God's creation to take better care of it.

"This conference is an opportunity for the people of Boston to truly hear 'Laudato Si" and understand that it's not just about the environment," he said. "It's about what it means to be Catholic, in the broadest sense, to be human."

He expects about 300 people to attend the convocation. Attendance is free but pre-registration is required. Information is available at bostoncatholic.org/social-justice-ministry.