St. Francis Students Lobby at Capitol for Environmental and Social Justice at Laudato Si Summit

On April 19th and April 20th, St. Francis students lobbied at the capitol with hundreds of other high schoolers from across California to fight for environmental justice, immigration, and the housing crisis.

The Laudato SI Movement began in 2015 by Pope Francis. Fittingly, St. Francis was selected as the patron saint of this movement due to his commitment to environmental stewardship.

Participants from St. Francis in this event are members of the Garden of Eden Club, the Environmental Justice and Equity Club, and AP U.S. History students exercising their civic participation.

Student leadership from the Garden of Eden Club and Environmental Justice and Equity Club led St. Francis’ planning process for the summit.

“We joined Zoom meetings every other Tuesday, starting around 2 months before the actual summit. We discussed the possible main bills we should advocate for, since there are countless senate and assembly bills we could focus on”, said junior Angelyn Gonzales, a student from St. Francis and president of the Garden of Eden Club.

“Environmental Justice council members --- as well as student leaders from other schools --- researched a number of potential bills and recorded important information like their intended goal, author, date of introduction, and current status, which determined whether we would advocate for them at the summit”, said junior Julianne Nguyen, a student from St. Francis and one of the presidents of the Environmental Justice and Equity Club.

On April 19th, students gathered at Jesuit High School to prepare for the following morning at the capitol. Assistant Bishop Rey served mass where Gonzales and junior Jacob Berglund, a student from Jesuit, led the choir at the service.

Students were given the opportunity to talk with other like-minded students who had traveled from places as far as San Diego to participate in the summit through icebreakers.

On the day of the summit, April 20th, all students gathered in the capitol gardens and listened to powerful testimonies. Singing “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, students carried signs and made their way to the legislator offices.

During meetings with legislators like Maggy Krell and Angelique Ashby  in their offices, participants detailed and summarized bills such as AB 736/SB 417 for Affordable Housing Bonds, SB 1125 for Water Rate Assistance, and SB 1422, 2161/AB 2208 for Medi-Cal Policy.

“We wanted to choose bills that were particularly related to Immigration, Ecological, and Housing Justice. As part of the planning process, we helped coordinate legislative meetings with legislators or their representatives”, said Gonzales.

“For most of these students, it was their first time lobbying and speaking with legislators—so we wanted to ensure that they were prepared for the summit day. In fact, last year I was one of those first-time students! I wanted other students to feel prepared for the summit as well”, added Gonzales.

St. Francis’ environmental efforts go far beyond the two day event.

“During Garden of Eden Club meetings, we advocate for the environment through hands-on ecological stewardship, education, and community action”, said Gonzales. “We help care for our school garden and plants around campus by maintaining green spaces, supporting plant health, and encouraging sustainability within our school community.”

“During [Environmental Justice and Equity Club] meetings, we try to both educate students and inspire action. Each month's meeting is focused on a specific theme; past themes include COP30, the Coyote Creek crisis, and women in activism”, said Nguyen. “One of my favorites was our October meeting, in which we presented information about the 30th Annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) and asked club members to examine its pros and cons. “

St. Francis’ school year theme for the 2025-2026 school year, “Console, Understand, Love,” is a perfect reflection of the values of the Laudato Si Summit.

“Watching my students advocate for Catholic social teaching is such an inspiration. One of the reasons I love working with teenagers is because they have a strong sense of justice and they are also hopeful that real change can happen”, said adult moderator for the Garden of Eden Club, Michelle Reagan.

 "It's easy to become cynical when we look at the challenges we face, especially the environmental challenges, which seem overwhelming. But participating in the Laudato Si Youth Advocacy Summit gives me hope because I know that the future is in good hands”, said Reagan.

Reagan said, “The ultimate goal of Catholic Social Teaching is to change our social structures to build the Kingdom of God on earth. In other words, to create a world in which love of God and love of neighbor are the foundational guiding principles for society”. The Laudato Si Summit upholds these foundational Catholic values and shares them with the rest of the world.

The founders of this event at St. Francis are alumni Peri Hines ‘25 and Grace Mastagni ‘25.

“I would like to thank them for playing an extremely large role in influencing our club's emphasis on equity and justice --- which are not talked about enough within the context of environmental issues --- and giving it the "spark" that it needed to succeed”, said Nguyen.

Participating in the Laudato Si Summit is open to all who are interested and passionate in what it fights for.

“Laudato Si has been especially meaningful because this was my second year being involved. Last year, I participated as a student, but this year I had the opportunity to step into more of a leadership role, which inspired me even more to continue advocating for environmental justice”, said Gonzales. “I also want others to be inspired to do the same! We seriously each have unique voices and they all can’t go unheard…so come sign up and join us for next year’s summit!”