We welcome input from Catholics in parishes throughout the Tucson Diocese about individual or parish-based care-for-creation efforts. If you would like to share your information on the blog, CONTACT KATIE via email.
WHO ARE THE TUCSON CATHOLICS WHO ORIGINATED THIS SITE?
Katie Hirschboeck (Our Mother of Sorrows Parish) — Katie is chair of the Care for Creation Initiative at OMOS, which she and Hank Krzysik co-founded in 2008. She also chairs the parish's Consistent Ethic of Life Committee. An
emeritus faculty member of the University of Arizona’s
Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Katie has over 30 years of experience teaching and doing research on the environment and global climate change. She has a PhD in
geosciences and holds joint faculty appointments in atmospheric sciences
and hydrology. Katie is also a national "
Catholic Climate Ambassador" for the
Catholic Climate Covenant. She is deeply committed to what our faith teaches
about the consistent ethic of life, care for creation, care for the poor – and
how these areas are interrelated.
Katie started this blog and has kept it going through the years (albeit intermittently at times due to the work demands of her faculty position). Now that she is retired, she would like to get the blog more active -- so please send input!
Giulio and Joan Grecchi (St Cyril of Alexandria) — Giulio and Joan co-founded the New Jersey Catholic Coalition for Environmental Justice in 2002 (sponsored by the five NJ dioceses). They also organized Statewide Environmental Conferences on "A Vision for Environmental Justice: Our Responsibility for God’s Creation" April 25-27, 2003 at Princeton University; “Creating an Environment for Life” October 15, 2005 at Georgian Court University, Lakewood, NJ and several other events. They returned to Tucson in 2005 and are now a driving force in Tucson's
Voice of the Poor program.
Mike and Theresa Crimmins (St. Pius X) — Mike and Theresa are PhD. research specialists at
the University of the Arizona. Mike is a professor and Climate Science Extension Specialist in the UA’s Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. In this position he supports resource managers by increasing
climate science literacy as well as developing strategies to adapt to a
changing climate.
Theresa is an ecologist and Assistant Director of the
USA National Phenology Network where shes supports
"Nature's Notebook" a national program in which professional and citizen scientists record long-term observations of plant and animal life stages.