In response to the Church’s moral call for action, the SJN Care for Our Common Home ministry seeks to better understand the interconnectedness of all of God’s creation and to act in solidarity with vulnerable populations around the world and for the benefit of future generations. We strive to share Church teaching on care for creation, reduce our carbon footprint as a parish, and provide resources and encouragement so that all parishioners can live in a more sustainable manner as faithful stewards of creation.
Enable us to succeed in listening and responding to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. May their current sufferings become the birth pangs of a more fraternal and sustainable world. We pray through Christ our Lord, under the loving gaze of Mary, Help of Christians. Amen
During the Season of Creation, the Care for our Common Home Ministry will host an E-waste collection as an opportunity to dispose of electronic waste items responsibly. E-waste items that will be collected include: computers and peripherals (i.e., printers, scanners, ZIP drives, keyboards), phones, cameras, fax machines, portable gaming devices, video equipment, audio equipment, etc.
Visit the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for Fairfax County government guidanceon how to wipe personal data from devices. Alternatively, if so noted, hard drives can be cut in half by the collection company.
Collection bins will be by Our Lady of Guadalupe outside the Brown-McCarthy Auditorium through October 5. Thank you!
Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation
Saturday, September 27 Noon-3 p.m.
Holy Cross Abbey Berryville, VA
Join parishioners from across the Arlington Diocese for a peaceful and prayerful walk through the sacred grounds of Holy Cross Abbey. Hear from Cistercian monks about their eco-friendly land stewardship, and learn about the Cool Spring Natural Cemetery that they maintain.
With work proceeding on a columbarium at St. John Neumann, join the Care for Our Common Home Ministry on Friday evening, October 3, for a panel presentation on options for Christian burial. Deacon John Wagner will talk about the Church’s teaching on Christian burial; Bill Keatley, General Manager of Adams-Green Funeral Home, will address the pros and cons of traditional burial, natural burial, and cremation, including relative costs and environmental impacts, and Maggie Sengewalt, Manager of Cool Spring Natural Cemetery at Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, will talk about natural burial options.
Join us in the Brown-McCarthy Auditorium for light refreshments at 6:30 p.m. The program will start at 7 p.m. and conclude at 8:30 p.m. after a Q&A session. RSVPs to saintjn.cch@gmail.com are helpful but not required.
Our annual Blessing of the Animals will be on Sunday, October 5 at 1 p.m. by the flagpole. Following a short prayer service, each animal will be blessed. Thanks for ensuring that your pets are caged or leashed appropriately.
Save the Date: Annual Fair Trade Sale November 29-30, 2025
Prayer Walk
A meditative, prayerful walk in nature lifts the spirit and lightens the heart.
You are invited to expand your prayer experience as you walk along the short SJN Prayer Loop behind the church, new as of this summer. If you can’t come in person, take this 3-minute virtual walk and add a blue prayer flag with your private intention.
The entrance to the prayer loop is at the far right, rear corner of the church at the end of the side parking lot (between the church and the rectory). Sample prayers are in the prayer box. We hope you enjoy finding prayerful uses of the sacred space.
Season of Creation 2020 Prayer Service
We invite you to join a virtual 17-minute outdoor prayer service celebrating the Season of Creation filmed at the outdoor amphitheater behind St. John Neumann.
As we have come to learn, it takes a special effort to be spiritually present in a virtual service and to overcome the stance of being a casual observer of a production.
Please begin by centering yourself, taking a few deep breaths and asking for the graces to participate prayerfully.
A meditative, prayerful walk in nature lifts the spirit and lightens the heart.