Morgantown– Lonnie Ellis, OSF, of the Catholic Climate Covenant will be the keynote speaker for a conference sponsored by Catholic Charities WV, the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, and Catholic Charities USA. The conference, “Cry of the Earth; Cry of the Poor: A Dialogue Leading to Action” is open to anyone of any faith and will take place at St. Francis de Sales church in Morgantown on October 7-8.
Lonnie Ellis, OFS, has ten years of experience communicating Catholic teaching on climate change and social justice. He has presented at an array of events in the U.S. and abroad, including co-leading a presentation at the Vatican with Cardinal Peter Turkson on climate change. He has appeared in national and international media outlets including PBS, Le Monde, The Christian Science Monitor, and EWTN.
He is a lay member of the Order of Franciscans Secular (OFS), making a solemn profession to live simply and work for justice. Lonnie started his faith-based vocation at St. Thomas More parish in St. Paul, MN, in community organizing. He holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC.
Lonnie will be speaking to us on “Climate Change, the Economy, and Pope Francis”. Over the course of two keynote presentations, he will cover a Global view, as well as a National view.
The rest of the conference will give participants a chance to discuss how faith calls us to respond to these issues, including time to develop a personal or organizational action plan.
People in ministry within a faith community, as well as individuals of faith are encouraged to attend. Special sessions for youth and young adults will be available.
The cost to attend is $10 for Friday (dinner included), and $20 for Saturday (lunch included). Scholarships are available. Thanks to our supporter, Learning Options Inc., child care with environmental-themed activities will be offered for $10/family. People are encouraged to register early, as spaces are limited.
If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please contact Kate Kosydar at kkosydar@ccwva.org or 304-622-4532.
