Pastoral Bulletin (Diocese of St. Petersburg) at 6363 9th Ave N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33710 US - Vol. 27: No. 15 ~ April 16, 2012

You may be contacted by a representative from an organization called, "Little Bethlehem Christians", as well as other vendors. The purpose of these organizations is to inform people about the situation of the Christians in the Holy Land and to market olivewood handcrafted religious articles, the sale of which provide steady employment to Christian families in the Jerusalem area. It is Bishop Lynch's policy NOT to grant blanket permissions or any endorsement to vendors for solicitation in our parishes.

NOTE: Please know that a pastor is free to allow representatives from these groups to speak at Mass to raise awareness about Christians in the Holy Land and/or to sell the crafts. The decision of whether or not to invite these groups to the parish is left to the discretion of the pastor. If you have any questions about this group or any other, please contact the Chancellor's Office.

"Environmental protection and the connection between fighting poverty and fighting climate change are important areas for the promotion of integral human development." - Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan 2012

Earth Day is globally celebrated on April 22. Following are Catholic resources for your convenience:

CHA has developed several resources you can use to recognize and participate in this event, as well as support your ongoing efforts to establish and strengthen organizational environmental responsibility activities. Click here to visit their website.