As the global Church prepares for Jubilee 2025, local communities like Carpi, Italy, are quietly leading the way, showing how ecological conversion can begin at the parish level. Guided by the vision of Laudato Si’, enrolled platform participant Giovanni Marino of San Bernardino Realino parish and his collaborators are shaping Carpi’s Jubilee journey around integral ecology and community action.
“I see the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP) as a valuable tool to sustain an active and virtuous conversation on themes that are under many pressures,” Giovanni shares. His passion for integral ecology is evident in his efforts to move beyond theory, embedding care for creation into the heart of local faith communities.
Planting Seeds Through Partnership
Together with Federica Marampon, a long-time ally in promoting social and environmental justice within the Diocese of Capri, Giovanni has been engaging parishes, clergy, and lay leaders. “We started by approaching people already active on social and energy themes, including priests and even the bishop’s secretary,” he explains. This groundwork helped secure support for wider promotion of integral ecology and the LSAP in Carpi, culminating in a diocesan newspaper article that combined both theological reflection and practical advice.
“People tend to be cautious when judging new proposals,” Giovanni admits, reflecting on the slow but steady process of building trust. His turning point came from a deeply personal connection: “Thanks to a friend inviting me to a memorial for Don Nino, a beloved priest who shaped the lives of many in Carpi—including mine—I met Luigi, the editor of the diocesan newspaper. On the way back from the ceremony, he asked me to write an article about photovoltaic systems.”
Creating Space for Integral Ecology
Giovanni took the opportunity to do more than just address technical questions. “I used the platform to promote LSAP alongside my article on renewable energy. It was the first time since 1999 that I’ve been asked for advice in the local press,” he says. “I would say thanks to Don Nino, these articles were published.”
In addition to local media outreach, Giovanni’s efforts align with national initiatives like Energie per la Casa Comune, which promotes energy efficiency in church buildings across Italy. Carpi’s community is also encouraging participation in the Borgo Laudato Si’, a Jubilee initiative that offers pilgrims an immersive ecological experience in the Vatican gardens at Castel Gandolfo.
A Lesson in Patience and Trust
Reflecting on what this journey has taught him, Giovanni offers simple but profound advice to other parishes: “Coordinate with others. The rest is not under our control—trust God.”
Carpi’s experience stands as a living testament that ecological conversion is not limited to major cities or institutions. Through persistence, community, and faith, small parishes can lead the Church’s response to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.