Deacon Kris Ringwall from St. Patrick in Oak Grove said that “Laudato Si’ On Care for Our Common Home” is not an encyclical that many people know about. If he walked up and asked someone about it, he might well get a blank look in return, he said.
Pope Francis wrote the encyclical on the environment in 2015 and caring for “our common home” which is the planet, Deacon Ringwall explained. He is no stranger to the encyclical, having hosted listening and speaking sessions on the topic for his parish.
Ringwall told Rachael McCallum, producer of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show in an episode set to air at 9 p.m. June 27 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM, “How do we live in this world? How do we bring ourselves to care for the world? … We also (have to) focus on the big picture. As you talk about the world of how we were created, and water and sun and heat, all of that comes into play.”
Deacon Ringwall revisited the Book of Genesis and the creation of mankind. Here, he put together a combination of details that helped create a bigger picture for his faith.
“Life is this small four-letter word,” Deacon Ringwall said. “But if you broaden it out and you talk about living, then a lot of times we start focusing on what we can change. And then we go on a mission. But in reality, probably none of us are going to reform the world. It’s God’s world and God’s will. This world is going to go where it’s going to go. But we can learn to live in this world.”
Deacon Ringwall believes in their day-to-day lives, people can affect small change for the rest of the world, especially in creating a positive impact against climate change.
“A good example is always think about your children and your grandchildren and your great grandchildren, and you just ask yourself, ‘Well, if I take this today, am I taking it from them?’” Deacon Ringwall said. “If you want a corn cob, you can eat all the corn you want. But did you save some seed to plant next year? That’s what you need to do. It’s not dramatic, but you know you want to save something for the next generation.”
Deacon Ringwall said the biggest challenge for him is seeing young people around him and wanting the world to be a better place for them.
“It starts with our own individual basis of faith and upon that faith, that foundation is what we grow everything from,” Deacon Ringwall said. “God’s creation, the understanding of that creation comes through the growth of our faith. … God will use our service and our works we do for him for his greater glory and good.”
To hear more from Deacon Ringwall about having a positive impact on the world, tune into “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. June 28 and 2 p.m. June 29.
Also on the program, Anne Ricci — the director of client services for Guiding Star Wakota, a pregnancy resource center in West St. Paul — shares how her faith, family and commitment to the pro-life movement shapes her work. And Sarah Kostick, a parishioner of St. Paul in Ham Lake, shares what it means to have a virtuous friendship.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, “Practicing Catholic” can be heard after it has aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
