This is the first (and hopefully not last!) post by Sarah Schwarz, another of our summer super-interns. -- Luis

As we made our way up to the third floor of one of the biggest hotels in downtown Philly, I found myself surrounded by colorful tables, soothing music, and hundreds of passionate social justice activists who also happened to be Brothers and Sisters within the Catholic faith. That’s right, folks; I had the privilege of representing 1Sky at the Convention for the Common Good held this past weekend.

Cosponsored by Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby Group, the conference gathered over 600 Catholic activists and a year’s worth of work. The conference was called to ratify the platform that had taken a year of discussions and analysis in order to formulate an election plan based on shared principles.

At the conference, Ada and I engaged participants in conversations about climate change as we ‘womaned’ the 1Sky table. I was both surprised and inspired by some of the individuals we met. Personally, I come to work in the environmental movement by way of 1Sky, through my faith and strong passion for just treatment of people everywhere. While I found that I connected with most people at the conference on that same level, I was encouraged by the array of motivations I heard for why people of faith devote themselves to environmental justice. Some people approached the matter from a strong political standpoint; others focused on the food crisis, health and safety concerns, and employment issues that arise from climate change.

After speaking with these deeply committed activists, I was reminded once again of the magnitude of the climate crisis. What other ‘issue’ is more encompassing of all of life, the planet, its creatures, agriculture, energy, the economy, people and how we treat each other, (the list goes on), than the environment? Many of the participants described environmental preservation as a cornerstone to their faith.

This is the exact reason why the 1Sky Campaign is critical and necessary, for it is truly a collaborative campaign seeking to bring every perspective and voice to the movement. While I always knew that about 1Sky, I thought this conference served as a good reminder. Even though we all have our own personal reasons for being involved, I challenge you to explore how climate change affects ALL aspects of your life.

I applaud the individuals I met and the convention as a whole for taking a firm stand on concerns that affect everyone.