A Matter of Spirit - Summer 2025 - On Sacred Ground
From the Editor
ACCORDiNG thE bOOk Of LEvitiCUS, thE bibLiCAL JUbiLEE wAS A timE tO fORGivE DEbtS, REtURN LAND tO itS ORiGiNAL OwNERS, AND fREE CAptivES AND OthER ENSLAvED pEOpLE.
According to the book of Leviticus, every 49th year, the sound of a shofar, a ram’s horn, would usher in the jubilee year. “This solemn proclamation was meant to echo throughout the land and to restore God’s justice in every aspect of life,” said Pope Francis in a message for the World Day of Peace earlier this year. “In the use of the land, in the possession of goods and in relationships with others, above all the poor and the dispossessed…no one comes into this world doomed to oppression: all of us are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same Father, born to live in freedom, in accordance with the Lord’s will.” 1
According the book of Leviticus, the biblical Jubilee was a time to forgive debts, return land to its original owners, and free captives and other enslaved people. It was a call to return the community to right relationships—with God, one another, and the Earth—and offered not just a moment of economic reset but also a spiritual reorientation.
The Catholic Church adopted the practice of celebrating a Jubilee Year in 1300; since then, there has been one about every 25 years. Today, the most familiar image of a jubilee is the opening of the holy doors in Rome, which symbolize pilgrims’ passage from sin to grace. For many, the jubilee has become a spiritual celebration more than a concrete call to justice.
Both St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis challenged this over-spiritualization of jubilee, however. In that same World Peace Day address, Pope Francis called on Catholics to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope in concrete ways: forgiving the debt of nations in the Global South, caring for life from conception to death, and reducing the money earmarked for global militaries and diverting it toward solving issues such as hunger and climate change.
IPJC is one of the organizations participating in these pilgrimages. For us, this means deepening our engagement in the Sacred Salmon campaign and in our relationships with Indigenous communities across the Pacific Northwest working to preserve salmon populations. In September, we will be participating in Xaalh and the Way of the Masks, a two-week campaign that seeks to bring attention to the threats facing both the land and Indigenous lifeways in the Pacific Northwest. According to their website, the campaign “is dedicated to, and honors, our ancestral Indigenous knowledge that all things are related to, and through, Xaalh: a sacred trust with the balance of life.”
photo on the cover shows Celilo Falls in 1941: Once a sacred fishing station for many Pacific Northwest tribes, Celilo Falls was submerged in 1957 with the construction of the Dalles Dam, which can be seen which can be see in the image above. This powerful site was a stop on the All Our Relations Journey and will also be part of the upcoming Way of the Mask pilgrimage. It is a place of lament, remembrance, and hope for transformation. Photo picryl.com media
Inspired by Pope Francis’ clarion call to reclaim Jubilee as a time for repairing relationships with both one another and the Earth, more than 20 Catholic organizations in the United States came together to host and participate in Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation, local pilgrimages that they see as “sacred opportunities to pray for the grace to encounter Christ in Creation and renew our relationships with God, the Earth, and one another.” 2
1 Pope Francis, Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 58th World Day of Peace 2025, Vatican website, December 8, 2024, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/ documents/20241208-messaggio-58giornatamondiale-pace2025. html
2 “Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation,” accessed June 4, 2025, https:// catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/.
The articles in this issue look at pilgrimages for creation from a variety of perspectives, both in the Pacific Northwest and nationally. As you read the reflections and stories in this issue, I invite you to consider how your own life and ministry might be affected by Pope Francis’ call this Jubilee year. What might it mean to walk as a pilgrim of hope in the places you call home? What debts—ecological, historical, relational—still cry out for justice? What would it take to restore right relationship in your own corner of the world?
May this Jubilee Year stir in all of us a deeper reverence for creation, a renewed commitment to justice, and the courage to walk together toward healing and wholeness.
—Emily Sanna, Editor
The
fA ithf UL RES i L i ENCE AND OUR CO mm ON h O m E
BY DIANA MARIN
in early April, more than 300 Catholic youth gathered at the California State capitol to advocate for climate justice. Organized by the California Chapter of the Laudato Si’ Movement and Jesuits West, these young people met with state legislators to call for fire resilience and prevention, water and habitat protection, and immigration. The gathering was an act of faithful resilience; participants collectively discerned the bills to advocate for, including ones offering aid to those affected by the LA wildfires, countering the pollution of waterways, and combating the growing ill will and restrictions placed upon immigrants.
These young people were prophetic pilgrims of hope, praying with their feet as they traveled from nearly every diocese in the state to Sacramento and lifting up their voices to cry with the earth and cry with the poor. And this action wasn’t a one-off: It was the first of dozens to come this year as we mobilize the Catholic community to be pilgrims of hope.
Early this year, the Los Angeles wildfires displaced thousands of people from their homes and killed dozens. Within days of the inauguration, the White House issued executive orders retracting environmental protections and dismantling decades of environmental regulations. When it comes to environmental action, the stakes are high.
And yet, there is much in which to have faith. As I think about the young people who gathered at the capitol and the model our faith provides of hope and environmental action, I am reminded of what it means to be resilient. Resilience isn’t just getting up after being knocked down to stubbornly do the same thing over and over again. Instead, it considers changing circumstances and reorients to faith. Our church provides countless examples of what this faithful resilience looks like and offers practices to build this spiritual muscle.
thE JUbiLEE YEAR Of hOpE
2025 is the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home) and the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures. It is also the Jubilee Year of Hope. These three anniversaries serve as reflection points on how to build spiritual resilience at this point in time, especially as it relates to caring for our common home.
When St. Francis of Assisi penned the poem-prayer The Canticle of the Creatures (also known as The Canticle of the Sun) in 1225, he deepened an aspect of Catholic spirituality that finds gratitude for all things and sees all of creation as siblings. Praise permeates all of existence, because God is in all of existence. The poem lauds Brother Sun and Sister Moon, Brothers Wind and Air, and Sisters Water, Earth our Mother, and Death.
St. Francis saw that God is inextricable from creation and thus all aspects of creation are to be praised. We are part of a greater ecological family. Eight hundred years later, our human-caused environmental crises reveal just how far we’ve strayed from St Francis’ vision of creation as family.
In 2015, Pope Francis began his encyclical Laudato Si’ with The Canticle of the Creatures, including the Canticle’s refrain—”praise be,” or “laudato si’” in its original Umbrian translation. “On Care for Our Common Home” was a landmark document that acknowledged the realities of the climate crisis and brought a moral lens to a conversation that, at the time, was predominantly scientific.
Furthermore, Laudato Si’ is credited for stirring global advocacy against climate change, including mobilizing the widespread adoption of the 2015 Paris Accord at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Among its key teachings, Laudato Si’ uplifts the concept of integral ecology, which holds that “everything is closely interrelated.”1 This interrelation means
Left: San Francisco Laudato Si' Mass; Pilgrams of Hope for Creation logo. Right: Sacramento Youth Advocacy Day. Article photos courtesy of the author.
that the climate crisis is not just an environmental issue but also a social and spiritual one. Further, it means that taking care of the Earth, our home, includes taking care of our neighbors, especially those most impacted by this crisis.
Finally, before his death Pope Francis designated this year, 2025, a Jubilee Year. A practice that dates back to Leviticus Chapter 25, Jubilee refers to a biblical law calling for the restitution of debt and land. As the Vatican explains on their website for the Jubilee Year, “[Jubilee] was intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”2
Today, Jubilee Years in the Catholic Church are known as Holy Years. They are seen as a time during which God’s holiness transforms us and are characterized by pilgrimage, traditionally to Rome.
The theological premise of Jubilee as a time of financial and spiritual transformation, when viewed through the lens of today’s climate crisis, calls for making visible the intersections of climate change and power. Furthermore, Pope Francis named the theme of this Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope.” This convergence invokes a transformation of our relationships to God, one another, and all creation, aided by the action of going on pilgrimage and fortified by the practice of hope.
piLGRimAGES Of hOpE fOR CREAtiON
Traditionally, Catholics honor Jubilee Years by undergoing pilgrimages to Rome, often earning an indulgence for their efforts. Pilgrimage is a beautiful way to honor such monumental anniversaries and offer a way to foster spiritual growth, build community, and deepen our connection to God. In visiting a site of significance and being willing to be transformed in the process, pilgrimages are both acts of devotion and of spiritual fortitude.
This Holy Year, we are asking people to go one step further and to consider all of creation in their pilgrimages. Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation is a nationwide initiative launched in 2025 by a coalition of Catholic and creation care organizations in the United States. The initiative calls for Catholics and Catholic institutions to reflect upon the profound relationship between God, humanity, and creation and to take concrete steps toward healing the Earth. These pilgrimages enable a renewal of spiritual commitment to care for creation and to take action for our common home. The initiative culminates during the Season of Creation (September 1 to October 4, 2025), which is a time for prayer, reflection, and action focused on the environmental crisis facing our world today.
1. Pope Francis, “Laudato Si’,’” Vatican website, May 24, 2015, https:// www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/ papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
2. “What is the Jubilee?” Jubilee 2025, accessed June 6, 2025, https:// www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/segni-del-giubileo.html.
We hope to mobilize thousands of Catholics across the country to take part of pilgrimages in their communities, and we are actively encouraging individuals to sign up as local leaders organizing pilgrimages. The Sacramento Youth Advocacy Day mentioned earlier is one of many pilgrimages taking place under the Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation initiative.
The importance of the Jubilee Year, and of 2025 in general, is only amplified by Pope Francis’ death. Not only do we celebrate the various anniversaries this year offers, but now we also remember Pope Francis’ life and legacy. Care for our common home has never been more important.
As people who find God in all of creation, who praise God for all that is, and who know ourselves to be capable of transformation through God’s holiness, we are called this year 2025 to be pilgrims of hope, taking action for our common home and doing so with faithful resilience.
Diana Marin serves as the program manager for young adult mobilization at Catholic Climate Covenant, where she organizes young leaders from across the United States to engage in faith-based climate action. Previously, she served as theologian-in-residence for the Nuns and Nones Land Justice Project, convening Catholic sisters and millennial “nones” in conversations on land transitions rooted in ecological and racial healing.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
There are many ways that you can get involved in the Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation initiative:
Sign up for the monthly training series to learn how to join or start your own pilgrimage, work with the media, celebrate, and continue your journey. Register at: bit.ly/pilgrimagemonthly-training-series/
Join the mailing list to receive the latest resources, news, success stories, and our weekly newsletter, The Joyful Messenger. Sign up at catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/mailinglist-sign-up/
Sign up to join a pilgrimage in your area , and if there isn’t one, consider becoming a pilgrimage leader in your community by visiting catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/pilgrimageregistration/. (Regístrate en español: bit.ly/Formulario-de-Participación-en-laPeregrinación)
If you’re an organization, consider collaborating with us. Fill out an application at catholicpilgrimsofhope.org/ collaborating-organization-application
You can also strike up a conversation with us by emailing welcome@catholicpilgrimsofhope.org.
th E impORtANCE O f ENGAGED fA ith CO mm UN iti ES
BY JOSEPH BOGAARD
Salmon are one of the Northwest’s earliest and most influential inhabitants. Fossilized, eight-foot “spiketoothed salmon” have been found in central Oregon embedded in rocks that are more than 4 million years old. Scientists credit more contemporary salmon populations with building the tremendous biodiversity of life across this region—its lush ancient forests, rich ecosystems, and abundant fish and wildlife populations. More than 135 other species— insects, plants, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds— all benefit from healthy abundant salmon populations and, conversely, suffer from their absence.
Salmon leave their natal streams as tiny juvenile fish and enter the ocean where they grow to great size. Then, miraculously, they return a few years later as adults to their freshwater rivers and streams to spawn and die. In doing so, salmon deliver immense quantities of ocean-derived nutrients that nourish terrestrial habitats and their inhabitants—like cedar trees, bears, wolves, eagles, and people.
The Grand Ronde joins the Snake River
few miles upstream from Lewiston, ID.
Right: Snake River restoration leaders and colleagues spent 5 days together rafting and camping in Hells Canyon on the Snake River last September. Article photos courtesy of the author.
Think for a moment about this return, this annual ritual of animated, marine energy and matter in the form of millions of fish across uncountable generations swimming against the current and surging into the far reaches of the Columbia and Snake Rivers and their tributaries and across the Pacific Northwest. One can begin to understand the outsized role that salmon have played over a very long time to build a diverse and abundant Northwest landscape.
Over the past century or more, however, these ancient relationships and connections have been severed. Lands and waters have been “developed,” rivers dammed and polluted, forests clearcut. The changing climate is now adding new pressures and new urgency for big actions and, we hope, more humble attitudes. Salmon are connectors—of lands and water and wildlife and people— so our solutions to support their recovery require holistic approaches that reflect this shared truth.
Left: Looking down on the Grand Ronde River in northeast Oregon.
a
Above/
Efforts to protect wild salmon from extinction and restore them to abundance is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most profound and consequential battles today. Salmon and steelhead represent the wild, ancient heart of this place we all call home.
Perhaps more than any other species, these native fish define our region and its special way of life. Since time immemorial, salmon have been at the center of Northwest Tribal cultures, economies, and spiritual traditions. Much has been lost over the past 100 years, and many salmonid populations today are struggling for survival and running out of time. Continued unnecessary and avoidable losses of this special keystone species will have devastating effects on our region’s identity and ecology and Tribal and non-Tribal communities alike.
It doesn’t have to be this way. But big changes are urgently needed in how we live and conduct ourselves if salmon are going to be given the opportunity to restore themselves. With their values and traditional ecological knowledge, Tribes are increasingly leading the way today.
Inspired by the fish themselves, diverse advocates, who may have worked separately in the past, are joining forces to protect, restore, and reconnect the healthier rivers and watersheds that salmon need. With Tribal communities in the lead, these alliances are gaining power and securing historic wins.
Working in collaboration, we’ve stopped destructive projects from moving forward such as the Pebble Mine in southwest Alaska. Our alliances and community organizing are also helping to correct past mistakes, including returning free-flowing rivers to salmon and steelhead by removing dams from the Elwha and Klamath Rivers. These hard-fought victories are restoring rivers, honoring salmon, and helping Tribal communities begin to heal.
Faith communities play an important and influential role working and collaborating with others to help right these historic wrongs. Given the past involvement of many churches and religious leaders in subjugating lands, waters, and peoples, faith communities’ more recent activities and commitments to advance justice by supporting Tribal leadership and allying with nongovernmental organizations is both powerful and inspiring.
Leadership from within the faith community is needed now more than ever, given the highly polarized environment in which we find ourselves. In my experience working as an advocate, clergy and religious leaders have an exceptional ability to bridge divides, encourage listening and learning, and cultivate an atmosphere where lasting solutions can be discussed and developed. This strong value of collaboration allows diverse voices
to come to the table and honors differences while also upholding interconnectedness in working together for justice and shared solutions.
As the late Pope Francis stated so eloquently in Laudato Si’ (On Care for our Common Home), “We need a conversation that includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”
In many communities, clergy are seen as peacemakers who can help find common ground and provide a safe space for stakeholders to have a conversation about a different and better future for our region.
We saw this in 2018, when Save Our Wild Salmon partnered with Earth Ministry on a series of “Loaves and Fishes” gatherings in houses of worship throughout eastern Washington, which brought together farmers, fishermen, tribal members, faith leaders, and local residents. Host clergy facilitated productive discussions on how we can work together to save wild salmon, honor Tribal treaties, and protect local farmers by removing the four dams on the lower Snake River and replacing the services those dams provide.
At Save Our wild Salmon, we deeply appreciate the vital role that faith communities play in advocacy. People of faith provide an important perspective and raise a strong moral voice that resonates with policymakers, reminding them that their decisions impact real creatures and communities whom they have promised to protect and serve. Faith messengers, from bishops to lay leaders and everyday people in the pews, bring with them a credibility that other constituencies do not always have and are uniquely able to reach across the aisle and connect on issues of shared concern.
Save Our wild Salmon has been working in coalition since the 1990s to rebuild abundant salmon and steelhead populations and the great benefits they bring to people and ecosystems by protecting, restoring, and reconnecting their rivers and streams. The faith community in the Northwest has been an important and influential partner in these efforts for many years. We are grateful for the friendships and the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with members of the faith community to support salmon recovery and remind policymakers of our nation’s long-standing promises to the region’s Tribes and to be better stewards of the lands and waters we all depend upon and call home. We look forward to continuing this collaborative work in the years ahead. We are always stronger together.
Looking down on the John Day River during a river trip I took with my wife, Amy, in May 2024. The John Day flows north through eastern Oregon and is a tributary of the Columbia River.
ACtiviSm
GROUNDED
iN
thE NAtURAL wORLD
Advocacy, collective action, and community organizing are essential ingredients for bringing about a brighter and more positive future. But it is also very important for us all to step back and take time to nurture a direct and intimate relationship with the natural world. For me, this frequently includes time alone and with others on or near rivers. Here are few of my favorites.
SKAGIT RIVER: The Skagit is located in northwest Washington State. Its headwaters are located in British Columbia, and it flows south and west through the heart of North Cascades National Park and then through the broad forested valley it created and into the Salish Sea. It is home to many salmon— chinook, sockeye, chum, and steelhead, though at much lower numbers than at previous times in its history.
Seattle City Light owns and operates three dams on the Skagit River that are now undergoing a relicensing process involving the Swinomish and Upper Skagit Valley Tribes as well as local and regional stakeholders. Winter months can be a special time to visit, as eagles often congregate there to feast on the dead, spawned out chum salmon.
SNAKE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES: The Snake River Basin was once among the most salmon-productive places in the Columbia Basin. It was home to millions of spring and fall chinook and steelhead, coho, and sockeye. Much of this basin today is managed as federal wilderness and protected lands and waters; it remains the greatest opportunity for fish and ecosystem restoration on the West Coast.
This beautiful landscape is well worth a visit; plan on joining Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment and allied nongovernmental organizations and supporters on the banks of the lower Snake River (reservoir) August 15 and 16, 2025 for fellowship, food, education, speakers, and much more. Visit nimiipuuprotecting.org or wildsalmon.org for more information and to register to attend. This event is free and all are welcome, so please spread the word to your friends and family!
NISQUALLY RIVER: The Nisqually is located in the south Puget Sound area. Its headwaters originate on Mt. Rainier and flow through the traditional lands of the Nisqually People. Levees, built more than a century ago on the estuary, were recently removed, allowing the river and its ancestral estuary to reemerge and reconnect.
There are wonderful trails to explore in the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge offers great access to the river, birding, and more.
ELWHA RIVER: I make at least one annual pilgrimage to the Elwha. This is an amazing place to visit and explore and to be reminded of the restorative powers of nature.
There are miles of trails along and above the river to explore. You can wander through lands that not long ago were submerged under reservoirs. On my most recent visit in April, we saw huge herds of elk, ravens and bald eagles soaring overhead, coyote tracks, and much more. You can also easily
… it iS ALSO vERY impORtANt fOR US ALL tO StEp bACk AND tAkE timE tO NURtURE A DiRECt AND iNtimAtE RELAtiONShip with thE NAtURAL wORLD.
access the mouth of the river where it mingles with the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Twelve years ago, beach walking here was an ankle-breaker. Starved of sands and sediments for more than a century, the beach was dominated by skull-sized rocks. Now that the dams have been removed, sediment delivery has been restored, and it’s a wonderful place to walk and spend time. And surf too: dam removal restored a pretty decent surf break here.
Joseph Bogard is the executive director of the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, where he began working in 1996. Before joining the SOS team, Joseph spent many years teaching and working in the forests and mountains of the West. Today, he lives on Vashon Island with his partner, Amy. They have two adult children, Liesl and Jeremiah. He is a former commissioner of Water District 19 (King County) and currently serves as a board member with the NW Energy Coalition and Braided River.
Author with family on the Yakima River in central Washington State (2023).
Floating down the San Juan River, a tributary of the Colorado, in Utah in 2022.
PILGRIMAGE AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
BY WILL RUTT
In the fall of 2022, a long-time friend of mine, who grew up fishing on the Puyallup River, invited me to go salmon fishing. We got up at an ungodly hour, donning waders and jaywalking in the dark across a four-lane highway to reach the river.
In what is known as “combat fishing,” we lined up with hundreds of other anglers over a half-mile stretch, standing no more than four feet apart from one another. An hour before sunrise, we began sequentially casting our lines and then reeling them in after they landed about 45 degrees downriver.
After slowly getting the hang of the choregraphed dance, I grew more confident (daylight helped a lot!). It felt exhilarating and surreal to hook my first pink salmon under the shadow of the perfectly framed Tahoma.
I didn’t realize how meaningful this ritual would be in reconnecting with myself, experiencing community, and deepening my respect and understanding of the relationship between these beautiful fish, the land, and myself. Today, I prioritize spending time on the Puyallup River during the six weeks of salmon season in August and September.
REDiSCOvERiNG mYSELf
Fishing has been a part of my life for a long time. Growing up, I spent countless hours on the pier in Bell Isle, Canada, fishing for sheep’s head, perch, musky, and lake trout. My dad was the one to teach me, and it continues to be a love we get to share. Despite this love, as I moved into adulthood and a professional life in Phoenix, Arizona, fishing became less accessible. It wasn’t until I moved to Seattle that I rekindled this practice. What I discovered was a deep feeling of home, a groundedness that feels authentic and whole, especially as I revel in the sacredness of this region’s livelihood.
I have also noticed that my own mental health and well-being is strongest during the salmon run. I feel like in many ways I have undergone what Pope Francis references as “ecological conversion,” where a personal relationship with creation leads us to recognize our own weaknesses and encourages us to change (c.f. Laudato Si’, 218)
GROUNDiNG iN COmmUNitY
The six weeks of the salmon season have also become an anchor for friendships and community. My friends and I see each other multiple times a week. This past year, I took my dad, brother-inlaw, and two friends out for the first time. I also meet countless folks out on the river throughout the season. It is a beautiful amalgamation of people from different backgrounds, regions,
races, and socioeconomic classes all blended together in a chaotic but generally joy-filled mess.
In addition, as the experience of fishing for salmon transformed me and my understanding of community in powerful ways, it coincided with a similar movement within the Catholic Church in Washington State, as they too recognized the relationship between human community and the salmon. In November 2022, a few months after I went on the river for the first time, Washington’s five bishops issued a pastoral statement called “Caring for Creation and the Common Good in the Lower Snake River Region.”
In the letter, the bishops wrote that “In respecting the dignity of every human person, we first consider the Original Peoples of Washington state.” They also acknowledged that “deliberate action” to develop solidarity with Indigenous leaders was necessary to restore the ecological health of the region and drew ties to Laudato Si’ and Pope Francis’ teaching that Indigenous communities should be the “principal dialogue partners” in any projects affecting their land.
When I read this letter, I felt the Spirit moving through church teaching to animate and name my own experience and identifying a way to live it out in public life. IPJC connected with Jay Julius, a fisherman and the former chair of the Lummi Nation, and the organization he founded, Se’Si’Le, which seeks to utilize Indigenous ancestral knowledge to benefit of Mother Earth and Indigenous lifeways for future generations.
Over time this partnership became the Sacred Salmon Campaign, encompassing a long-term commitment to working to protect, uphold, and restore tribal treaty rights by restoring and revitalizing salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. We see this work as a direct continuation of the Catholic call to be in right relationship with Indigenous communities and all of creation. Our work is to live the teachings of the church—both in the documents mentioned above and in others1—and, when necessary, to hold the Catholic community accountable to what its state values and teaching.
CONNECtiON tO thE LAND
One of the most magnificent learnings about salmon, for me, has been learning that they are a delivery system of ocean nutrients, sometimes more than 1,000 miles inland. Our forests here in the Northwest are dense and healthy in part due to the nutrient cycling provided by salmon spawning and dying each year in the river. In turn, healthy forests stabilize the banks of rivers and create natural and healthy habitats for salmon to spawn. Restoring salmon populations is not only about protecting natural places but must also consider different cultures and
1 Throughout its history, the Holy Spirit has moved the church toward right relations with Indigenous people, starting with ecumenical letters to Indigenous peoples in 1987 and 1997 and continuing with the Northwest Catholic bishops' pastoral letter in 2001, "The Columbia River Watershed: Caring for Creation and the Common Good." This continues with Pope Francis' two encyclicals, Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum
ways of life, our economic system, and even religious practices. Solutions must be holistic and consider forest health, water quality, air quality, cultural preservation, energy production, and farming infrastructure. Removing dams is important work, but it is not enough. It does not acknowledge all the practices that put salmon, tribal communities, and anyone residing in the Northwest at risk—such as opening the national forest for cutting, loosening environmental regulations, and divesting in green energy infrastructure.
I think all of this is best summed up by the Lummi word, Xallah, which is insufficiently translated as “sacred balance” and is noncoincidently a focus of our upcoming Way of the Mask Journey.
I can’t understate the transformation that this work has offered to me on personal, communal, and societal level. Over time, my experience with salmon has moved from the personal to the collective. This journey has been filled with both joy
and despair, and ultimately I have come to a more robust understanding that God is calling us to be a part of creation.
Will Rutt arrived to Seattle in 2021 and has served as IPJC's executive director since then. . With experience both in community organizing and working with youth, Will brings a particular passion for shaping future social justice leaders and accompanying communities to claim power together. For most of his career, he has focused on issues of immigration, particularly as it impacted students. When Will isn’t working, he can be found spending time with his partner, Elizabeth; their daughter, Olivia; and pup Autumn. He is always trying to get outside to fish, hike, or ski.
Salmon give the gift of ocean nitrogen (N15) to the forest helping it grow faster and healthier. A KEYSTONE SPECIES
rebuild this graphic of salmon as keystone
70% of the nitrogen in trees near salmon spawning streams is from the ocean!
Bears, coyotes and eagles carry salmon into the forest to eat.
Salmon remains attract insects which in turn feed salmon fry!
Salmon are a keystone species vital to the survivial of 137 different fish and wildlife in the forest and ocean.*
Tree shade helps cool creeks where young salmon grow, increasing salmon survival.
*wildsalmoncenter.org/salmon-a-keystone-species/
Author and friend fishing on the Puyallup River. Large photo: Combat fishing on the Puyallup River. Article photos courtesy of the author.
piLGRimAGE AND thE SACRED SALmON CAmpAiGN
Prioritizing relationships with the land and people requires continually going to places where we can pray and ground ourselves together. Journeying together with our community partners and learning from and accompanying our Indigenous partners has been central to IPJC’s work.
Then, in late 2024, Pope Francis announced a 2025 Jubilee Year centered around the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” More than 800 Catholic environmental justice organizations across the United States came together to host pilgrimages of hope for creation.
ALL OUR RELAtiONS JOURNEY
From September 23 to October 1, 2023, the Pacific Northwest community engaged with All Our Relations, a powerful art piece by Cyaltsa Finkbonner.
IPJC hosted the Spokane stop Jay Julius (Lummi) and Warren Seyler (Spokane) each shared their tribes’ histories and teachings on kinship with Creation. Faith leaders, including Episcopal Bishop Gretchen Rehberg, Sister Pat Millen, and Gonzaga student Reagan Jones, spoke on environmental justice and reconciliation.
mEmORiAL GAthERiNG Of thE SNAkE RivER pALOUSE
In 2024 and 2025, IPJC staff joined a memorial gathering at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers honoring land loss due to the Ice Harbor Dam. Hosted by Khimstonik, an Indigenous-led organization focused on land return and cultural revitalization, the event featured a traditional welcome by Ione Jones and brought together members of the Palouse, Nimíipuu (Nez Perce), Yakima, and Wanapum tribes.
Participants shared a seasonal meal, engaged in sacred storytelling, and planted native seeds—yarrow, purple sage, Indian tobacco, dogbane hemp, and wild roses—at Sacajawea State Park. IPJC supported the event through seed sponsorship and ongoing collaboration
hEALiNG CANOE JOURNEY
In both 2024 and 2025, IPJC participated in Khimstonik’s healing canoe journey, which brought together tribes including the Palouse, Cayuse, Puyallup, Kalispel, Spokane, and Wanapum. The journey began with a blessing at Perry/Lyons Ferry and continued through ancestral waterways, ending at Fishhook. Guided by tribal histories and the Cáw Pawá Láakni atlas, participants planted native shrubs and seeds daily at culturally significant sites. IPJC contributed by tending to plant relations and providing fiscal sponsorship to strengthen this growing partnership.
XAALh AND thE wAY Of thE mASkS
IPJC is honored to continue partnership with Se’Si’Le and many other NGO partners to celebrate to continue the tradition of journeying together to build relationships, and take collective action for change. We hope others in the community will join us in Xaalh and the Way of the Masks, a two-week campaign in September 2025.
This campaign is a result of the Trump Administration’s recently announced frontal attack on Xaalh (the sacred balance of life). They have stated their intent to violate treaty rights and ignore federal laws and regulations to rapidly liquidate the mature forests on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. This would have a devastating effect on these forests, which caretake our salmon relatives’ water quality and quantity, are critical to biodiversity, and promote climate resilience.
Just as importantly, these legacy forests also provide Indigenous people with s әla-ex w , the strength that comes from the old ones. They are integral to Indigenous ancestral cultural ways of knowing nature and their inherited spiritual beliefs and practices.
It will include a 1,700-mile journey and 10 public actions in Pacific Northwest Native Nation communities, public venues, institutions of higher learning, and places of worship and move from the Canadian border to northern California, then back up the Columbia River Basin to the Snake River.
The Lummi Nation's House of Tear Carvers have crafted a traditional-style cedar mask and 10 hand carved paddles that will be gifted to community members throughout the campaign. The campaign travelers will include representatives from Se’Si’Le, the Lummi Nation’s House of Tears Carvers, an Indigenous journalist, and a videographer. It will be done in partnership with the faith community and nongovernmental organizations that make up a broad coalition of folks committed to our common home.
piLGRimAGES fOR hOpE AND CREAtiON – wAYS tO ACt!
Support, promote, and participate in “Xallah the Way of the Mask” - attend one of the stops, and invite five people in your community that you are hoping to build power with for environmental justice.
Plan a Sacred Salmon pilgrimage in your own community - the Season of Creation coincides with the height of the salmon run in the Pacific Northwest. Organize a pilgrimage for your community to go to a salmon spawning sight and let us know about it and any support we can provide!
Plan a pilgrimage of hope for creation in your own community - if salmon is not particularly connected to your context, plan a pilgrimage to a local site in your community to pray together and take collective action. Resources for this can be found at ipjc.org
wAv E f LOw S i N tO wAv E
BY REV. AC CHURCHILL
in 1988, two bunker oil tankers were traveling from Cherry Point in Northeast Washington toward Aberdeen when the towline between the vessels broke. The tankers drifted toward land, spilling over 230,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil that covered over 110 miles of Washington’s coastal beaches. The spill harmed the shores of the Quinault Indian Nation and the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Nation in Canada as well as Olympic National Park and multiple wildlife refuges.
Teams of volunteers flocked to the shorelines to try and rescue birds trapped in the tar that had washed ashore. The founders of Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power and Light, Rev. Carla Pryne and Ruth and Jim Mulligan, joined the efforts to wash waste from the birds’ wings. As they worked, they wondered: “Where are all the other people of faith? Why are they not here?”
What started off as one simple question has become more than 31 years of faith-rooted, conscience-led communities of curiosity, care, and action that come together to prevent and mitigate the harm of environmental injustice on both the planet and people who call Washington home. Today, Earth Ministry/WA IPL is a multifaith environmental justice organization working with sacred communities across Washington State. We work with over 400 sacred communities throughout Washington to educate, mobilize, and connect people who put their faith into action for the well-being of their communities and the environment.
Our work is done in collaboration with other environmental organizations and includes groups working toward Indigenous rights, disability rights, health care rights, labor rights, racial justice, housing rights, and queer rights. We know that, at its core, environmental justice is connected to every other movement for wholeness. And we believe our sacred traditions call us to participate in work that acknowledges the fullness of our community and expands our understandings of who our neighbors are.
It is from this background and these values that we engage in river recovery and salmon restoration work. Our organization believes that it is critical to follow the lead of Northwest Native Nations in campaigning and advocating for a just transition toward free-flowing rivers. For more than a decade, we have worked with sacred communities to support Indigenousled campaigns protecting treaty rights, fishing areas, and sacred sites. Following their leadership, we have mobilized people of faith and conscience to successfully oppose climate-damaging fossil fuel projects and support tribal efforts to recover salmon
and orca populations through river restoration and prevention of further pollution in the Salish Sea.
GROUNDED iN fAith
We are part of the natural world, and it is part of us. When Earth Ministry/WA IPL began in the early 1990s, much of our work centered around validating care for creation as part of the work of the church. Our founders and early staff met with sacred communities to help them reconnect with these justice priorities, which have always been part of people of faith’s commitments.
Abrahamic scriptural traditions start with the story of how the Divine formed and fashioned the beauty of celestial beings, the natural world, and all who call this planet home. In the Genesis 2 creation story, the author writes that God pulled dust and dirt up from the Earth to shape humankind. We are quite literally earthlings, earth creatures, made of dust. To dust we will return. Yet, for many reasons, our white Western versions of Christianity have spent generations disconnected from the very creation that forms us. This disconnect has led to patterns that not only devalue the non-human world, but also justify practices such as greed, colonialization, extractivism, and subjugation.
If we hope to be part of the healing process and members of communities that embody God’s love for all creation beyond
REEDO m f OR YOU,
ERE CAN b E NO REAL p EACE OR JOY OR f REEDO m f OR m E.”
— miNiStER fREDERiCk bUEChNER
sanctuaries and sacred spaces, then we must acknowledge the ways our spiritual traditions have been used to harm what God has called good. Healing and wholeness do not happen in isolation. The healing that our environment needs—that biodiverse ecosystems need and that the frontline communities first impacted by the disastrous toll of climate change need—requires us as people of faith and conscience to reconnect with the land and water and with the creaturely world who lives alongside us.
thE wEb Of iNtERCONNECtED LifE
We were first introduced to the importance of sacred communities’ support for tribal solidarity when the Lummi Nation approached us in the early 2010s to lend our support toward efforts to halt a proposed coal export terminal on Cherry Point (Xwe’chi’eXen), Lummi sacred land. Needing support from coalitions across the state, Lummi leaders approached what was then Earth Ministry to honor faith leaders’ commitments in a 1997 letter of apology titled “A Public Declaration to the Tribal Councils and Traditional Spiritual Leaders of the Indian and Eskimo Peoples of the Northwest.”
The Lummi Nation tasked us, alongside other ecumenical and multifaith communities, to show up. The call was clear and urgent; it was time to take our apologies from the page and put them into action. As a result of relentless determination from the Lummi Nation and statewide support, the project was cancelled and new relationships began to form.
Since then, Earth Ministry/WA IPL’s work connecting the well-being of human and natural systems within a moral framework that compels action has continued. We see our involvement with Indigenous-led climate and creation justice campaigns as a moral issue connected to our shared values of stewardship, responsibility, legacy, and justice. Additionally, given Christian communities’ explicit participation in violence, subjugation, and attempts to eradicate Indigenous culture, spiritual practices, and traditions, we believe it is part of our mission to work for healing by acknowledging the harm our faith ancestors caused and to work toward healthier, more equitable relationships going forward.
Today, we work closely with the intertribal organization Se’Si’Le to educate and mobilize people from a variety of sacred traditions to advocate for the restoration of free-flowing rivers across the Pacific Northwest. We follow the lead of Northwest Native Nations when it comes to best practices for healing the land and caring for the life-sources that call these rivers, streams, and creeks home.
AN iNtERfAith EffORt
Oftentimes in coalition spaces, we are the only faith-rooted group, and so we often bring messages of morals, values, and heart, which is not the focus of other organizations. Partner organizations often focus on the science, the data, and the logistics, which is why it’s important for us to be in relationship. We are there to say: “We have all of this amazing research and data to show why these changes need to happen or what we could do. We know how to talk to people’s hearts and minds. Let’s weave our efforts together.” Data are important; yet, for most people, it is stories and relationships that change minds.
Because we are grounded in sacred traditions, we can go into spaces where many environmental organizations struggle. We’re able to say that restoring rivers to a free-flowing state is not just an environmental issue or a climate change concern: It is a moral and sacred issue, because the Divine created rivers to run free and swimming things to swim freely. Our work gives an opportunity for individuals to learn more about environmental issues that might impact them and for coalitions to see the richness of humanity and break down assumptions about who is “other.” We find that folks across Washington have shared values, especially when it comes to a deep appreciation and love for the land. While our partners do not always agree on land usage, sustainability practices, or solutions for the climate crises, we believe there are opportunities to work together, especially when we do not vilify one side or another.
When we see our work as interconnected, regardless of the issue, we can shift the conversation from which issue is most pressing—i.e., whether we should focus on homelessness, “
food insecurity, racial justice, queer liberation, or the environment— to how we can work together to create systemic change. This shift allows us to build stronger networks of collaboration, mutual aid, and support. It also allows us to coordinate our efforts instead of arguing about which need is most important.
Interwoven into the fabric of the diverse sacred traditions that Earth Ministry/WAIPL represents is a call to help end suffering, care for our neighbors, and be good caregivers to the life-sources abundant in our natural world—mandates present in such diverse religious texts as Leviticus 19:18, the Greatest Commandment, the Golden Rule, The Qur’an 28:77, The Four Noble Truths, and shared Unitarian Universalist values of interdependence. Our different sacred traditions approach caring for creation and community differently; not everyone will connect with every approach. When we redirect our energy toward what we share and the values we have in common, we begin building bridges and doing the essential repair work. And when we come together, united by our shared values, we can create momentum for a sustained movement for justice, healing, and transformation.
The world we are trying to cocreate with one another is one where people and planet, creatures and ec0systems, thrive. That world is going to take time to build. We have a lot to unlearn, cycles of harm to break, and new cycles of healing to create. This world will take consistent commitment from all who seek to do good, honor the land, and love their neighbors. It takes people from all sacred traditions as well as people not connected to any organized tradition to bring it to life. ******
For as long as I can remember, the words of Presbyterian minister Frederick Buechner have been etched onto my heart. If you ever receive an email from me, you will witness them there as well in my signature line. In 1966, Buechner wrote, “Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you, there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me.”
In 2025, those words still bring me to tears, remind me of the importance of collaboration, community, and intentional intersectional justice. Beloved Ones, may we work together for peace, joy, and freedom. May we work together for the beauty of our earth and to honor those who have been in these places since time immemorial. May we learn from and with one another and cocreate a just and sustainable world for all.
Rev. AC Churchill (they/them) has been with Earth Ministry/WA IPL as the executive director since 2022. They are an ordained minister within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) tradition and see environmental justice as intrinsically connected to anti-racism and pro-reconciliation work. AC has a masters of divinity degree from Brite Divinity School and dual bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They have over 15 years of experience working with sacred communities as a faith-rooted organizer.
n In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope. Taking it as our guide, let us return to the message that the Apostle Paul wished to communicate to the Christians of Rome . . .
n Saint Paul is a realist. He knows that life has its joys and sorrows, that love is tested amid trials, and that hope can falter in the face of suffering. Even so, he can write: “We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” For the Apostle, trials and tribulations mark the lives of those who preach the Gospel amid incomprehension and persecution. Yet in those very contexts, beyond the darkness we glimpse a light: we come to realize that evangelization is sustained by the power flowing from Christ’s cross and resurrection. In this way, we learn to practise a virtue closely linked to hope, namely patience. In our fast-paced world, we are used to wanting everything now. We no longer have time simply to be with others; even families find it hard to get together and enjoy one another’s company. Patience has been put to flight by frenetic haste, and this has proved detrimental, since it leads to impatience, anxiety and even gratuitous violence, resulting in more unhappiness and self-centredness.
n Nor is there much place for patience in this age of the Internet, as space and time yield to an ever-present “now”. Were we still able to contemplate creation with a sense of awe, we might better understand the importance of patience. We could appreciate the changes of the seasons and their harvests, observe the life of animals and their cycles of growth, and enjoy the clarity of vision of Saint Francis. In his Canticle of the Creatures, written exactly eight hundred years ago, Francis saw all creation as a great family and could call the sun his “brother” and the moon his “sister.”
—Pope Francis, Spes non Confundit (Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025)
Questions for Reflection
1. In a culture of “frenetic haste,” what experiences in the natural world help you reclaim a more patient, hope-filled approach to ecological justice?
2. Jubilee is a time of restoration and rest, a time of debt forgiveness and of setting the captives free. What might a Jubilee for the ecosystem look like—either for salmon in the Pacific Northwest or in your own ecosystem, wherever that may be?
3. Jubilee is also a time to restore relationships. What broken relationships— with land, water, species, or peoples—might God be inviting you or your community to restore as part of a Jubilee practice?
4. How might pilgrimage—both understood as physical travel and as spiritual journey—deepen our commitment to ecological justice and reconciliation?
a. Pope Francis writes that “hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come.” In your own experience, what does hope look like in the face of climate grief or ecological destruction?
LOOKING BACK
Spring Benefit: Place of Belonging
Th IPJC community gathered for a beautiful evening of celebration and joy reveling in what it means to belong to one another. Due to the generous support of our sponsors and many individuals we were able to raise over $113,000 to support the work of the center, thank you! A special congratulations to our award winners, Victoria Reis, Patty Repikoff, and Marin Aguila.
Pilgrims of Hope and Creation: LSM-WA Earth Day Summit
Over 75 folks committed to working for the Care of our Common Home, gathered to pray, learn, and discern our collective commitment to ecological justice. The day featured a powerful keynote by Dr. Robert D. Bullard the “Father of Environmental Justice”, a litter pilgrimage, and pilgrimages of hope for creation planning for the upcoming season of creation. Several Catholic communities are planning pilgrimages in the fall!
All Our Relations: A Majestic Matriarchy: Honoring the Southern Resident Orcas
As a continuation of the Sacred Salmon Campaign, IPJC coorganized a powerful gathering of over 300 community members to inspire a renewed understanding of the ancient and holistic relationalities between the Sk’aliCh’elh (Southern Resident Killer Whales), scha’enexw (the Salmon People), the spirit in the waters (Tsi’Uid), and the lifeways of Native Nations in the Salish Sea bioregion. Beginning with a community meal and moving into a program we honored the voices of Indigenous women speaking on behalf of Sk’aliCh’elh and scha’enexw, and for being in right relations (xaalh) with our sacred obligation (Xa xalh Xachngning) to Creation.
LOOKING FORWARD
Catholic High School Leaders for Social Change
After 4 years of relationship building and an intensive listening campaign this spring, having listened to over 500 youth in the region, our Youth Action Team has discerned three priority justice issues that the coalition will focus on for the next 5 years. Access to healthcare, access to affordable housing, and immigration justice with a focus on a pathway to citizenship. We are excited to act on these three issues together and accompany them as they lead our community towards transformative change. Stay tuned for ways to stand in solidarity with our youth team!
Sacred Salmon Organizing Team
A group of 10 community leaders continues to meet every other week to learn more about salmon and indigenous rights, encounter key partners, and to grow in their skills and leadership for community organizing. The group is planning Sacred Salmon pilgrimages in their respective communities during the Season of Creation!
Sacred Salmon Pilgrimages – Season of Creation
If you are interested in organizing a pilgrimage to a salmon spawning site or another important natural space, please reach out to our team. We would love to learn about what you are planning and offer any support!
Xaalh – Way of the Mask – September 7-20th
Save the date for the upcoming journey in the fall! Dates and locations are forthcoming, and to see more about the event, check out page 10 of this issue.
Donations
IN HONOR OF Archdiocese of Seattle • Judy Byron, OP
Sr. Carmel Gregg, CSJP • Linda Haydock, SNJM
Kelly Hickman • Patricia Repikoff • Victoria Ries
IN MEMORY OF Patrick Higgins
John Helmon
SACRED SALMON
Our Spring Benefit gathering at St. Catherine of Siena, Seattle.
2025 Listening campaign with YATI and students, at St. Joseph Parish, Seattle.
Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center
1216 NE 65th St Seattle, WA 98115-6724
SPONSORING COMMUNITIES
Adrian Dominican Sisters
Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace Jesuits West
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S.-Ontario Province
Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia
Tacoma Dominicans
AFFILIATE COMMUNITIES
Benedictine Sisters of Cottonwood, Idaho
Benedictine Sisters of Lacey Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel
Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose Dominican Sisters of Racine Dominican Sisters of San Rafael Sinsinawa Dominicans
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters of St. Francis of Redwood City
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
Society of the Holy Child Jesus Sisters of the Holy Family
Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco Society of Helpers
Society of the Sacred Heart Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union
EDITORIAL BOARD
Don Clemmer
Cassidy Klein
Nick Mele
Andrea Mendoza Will Rutt
Editor: Emily Sanna
Copy Editor: Cassidy Klein
Design: Sheila Edwards
A Matter of Spirit is a quarterly publication of the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Federal Tax ID# 94-3083964. All donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To make a matching corporate gift, a gift of stocks, bonds, or other securities please call (206) 223-1138. Printed on FSC® certified paper made from 30% post-consumer waste.
What a blessing, what a wonder to be creatures of this Earth: Graced by mountains, seas and forests, green that nurtures us from birth. O Great Spirit, help us to live well on this vibrant, sacred ground, Fill us with the joy of knowing there is mercy all around.
Still a sadness overwhelms us when we see our Earth abused
And all those who suffer with her as they hear their hopes refused. Some stay blind to all this suffering, some choose not to be informed Others open up their hearts to listen to the pain endured.
Esta tierra es sagrada, don de Dios, su creación
Uniremos a cuidar a esta bella bendición
Toma mi mano, dame tu fuerza, juntos iremos a sanar Nuestra única planeta, Casa Común, bello hogar
May fresh courage move us forward in a steady, growing stream Of concerned and helpful people who can share this precious dream. Let us lift our hands and voices in a love song for our Earth, Let us pledge our finest efforts to proclaim her sovereign worth!
Melody: “Ode
Lyrics:
Verse 3 by Lisa Sullivan of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Source: Pilgrims of Hope for Creation Pilgrimage Planning Toolkit, https://drive.google. com/file/d/1n6sd0Honayz9kI1vL299gaFUjg_aQrER/view
