Laudato Si’ Animators are members of the global community of prayer and action, who animate their local parishes and communities to engage in ecological spirituality, sustainable lifestyles and advocacy for climate and ecological justice. These animators work to bring Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ to life by caring for our common home. The Laudato Si’ Animators play a critical role in addressing the urgent environmental challenges of our times by promoting sustainability.  The course empowers motivated individuals to implement the ideals proposed by Laudato Si’ in their communities through faith-based action, ecological education, and community engagement.

The training programme comprises four modules.  The first module introduces the participants to Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, as well as offers a comprehensive view of what is happening to our Common Home.  The second module deepens this understanding by reflecting on our Common Home and the socio-environmental crisis.  The third module presents the Church’s Social Doctrine, with a further emphasis on Laudato Si’. The final module explores how the animators can bring Laudato Si’ to life by promoting an integral ecology.

At the end of the programme, all the participants are invited to carry out a ‘Seed Project’, which is aimed at putting into practice the knowledge gained in their local communities.  After completing the entire training programme, the participants are awarded an official certificate and they then become part of the global community of Laudato Si’ Animators.

Encouraging members of the Salesian Family to enrol for the Laudato Si’ Training Programme, Fr Savio Silveira, responsible for Integral Ecology in the Salesian Youth Ministry Sector, said: “The course offers an excellent opportunity to youth animators, parish leaders, and all Salesian educators, to understand more deeply the encyclical Laudato Si’ and particularly to discover concrete ways of implementing its appeal to respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”. 

Referring to the Recor Major’s Six Year Project 2025-2031, Fr Silveira said: “The Rector Major has reminded us that ‘the Church’s commitment to integral ecology has been taken up by the Congregation and must be strengthened with a charismatically inspired vision’ (AGC 446).  Hence, while we as Salesians learn from this course, we can also enrich it by highlighting the ecological concerns of young people and promoting youth leadership in environmental initiatives”. 

For further details regarding the Laudato Si’ Animators Programme and to register for the training, please visit the website: https://laudatosianimators.org/