PRESS RELEASE: Indiana Catholic Conference Bishops to Release New Pastoral Letter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Media Contact: Alexander Mingus, Executive Director, Indiana Catholic Conference 
Phone: 317-236-1458 
Email: amingus@indianacc.org 

 Indianapolis, IN — The five bishops of the Indiana Catholic Conference, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson (Indianapolis), Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades (Fort Wayne-South Bend), Bishop Robert J. McClory (Gary), Bishop Timothy L. Doherty (Lafayette), and Bishop Joseph M. Siegel (Evansville), are pleased to announce the release of a new pastoral letter, Integral Ecology: A Sacramental Vision. 

Written during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, the letter is addressed to “brothers and sisters in Christ and all people of goodwill in the state of Indiana.” In it, the bishops share their joy in the Good News of Jesus Christ and offer encouragement rooted in “the hope that does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5). 

The pastoral letter reflects on the social and ecological challenges of our time through a Christian lens of hope. It also builds upon the bishops’ previous teaching on care for creation, including their 2000 pastoral letter, Care for the Earth, issued during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. 

Integral Ecology: A Sacramental Vision invites Catholics and all people of good will to consider a deeper, faith-filled understanding of humanity’s relationship with creation—one that recognizes the world as a gift from God and calls for responsible stewardship grounded in the sacramental life of the Church. 

The concept of integral ecology helps us see more clearly how human life and the natural world are deeply interconnected. Here in Indiana, we delight in the beauty of creation—from our Great Lake and winding rivers to forests, prairies, wetlands, and farmland. As people at home in this land and pilgrims journeying toward our true home in heaven, we are called to receive creation as a gift and to care for it with gratitude and hope.” 

— Most Reverend Charles Thompson, Archbishop of Indianapolis 

The document will be made publicly available on April 8, 2026. At that time, the bishops will share additional resources, including discussion questions, to support reflection and dialogue at the parish, school, and community levels. These resources can be found at indianacc.org/ecology. 

More information will be available through the Indiana Catholic Conference upon release.