An avid hiker and member of the creation care team at her parish, Sacred Heart in Prescott, Ariz., Charlene Hoffman has nurtured a longtime love for the earth. So when she heard about the Creation Summit hosted by the Diocese of Phoenix, she knew she had to get involved.
“It was like an answer to prayer,” she said.
Hoffman was one of nearly 100 attendees at the inaugural Creation Summit in January 2025, at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Phoenix. Through panels and small group discussions, the interfaith event invited participants to reflect on topics such as spirituality and climate challenges.
“I really loved all of the speakers. The water and climate challenge workshop was just terrific,” Hoffman shared. “We talked about human impacts. But I think really my favorite part was the guys from Brophy who came and talked about an action plan.”
At the summit, three students from the Brophy College Preparatory Student Climate Coalition discussed the importance of environmental stewardship. Participants were then asked to develop action plans to share with their parish communities. The diocese’s Pilgrimage of Hope for Creation at the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Ariz., and the Interfaith Walk for the Earth at Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz., were two of the developed action plans at the 2025 Creation Summit.
Emilio Rodriquez Izquierdo, another attendee at the 2025 Creation Summit, brought his action plan — a new care for creation committee — to his home parish, St. Francis Xavier.
“The first time we met was during the Creation Summit,” said Rodriquez Izquierdo. “We sat there with our pastor and then the idea was that we would continue meeting. We have been meeting continuously since the first summit.”
The committee holds monthly meetings at St. Francis Xavier and tracks environmental activities at the parish, such as energy use. The committee members, which include the pastor and five or six parishioners, actively work to improve the sustainability of the parish facilities.
“I feel very blessed because sometimes you will struggle to find people to do things, but here people naturally want to participate in service to the Church,” Rodriguez Izquierdo noted.
With the support of the committee, the parish is undertaking a major project: installing a solar canopy over the parking lot this July.
Inspired by the fruits of the first Creation Summit, Rodriguez Izquierdo decided to participate again in this year’s summit, this time as a planning committee member.
This year’s Creation Summit will take place on April 11, at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in downtown Phoenix in tandem with the 63rd anniversary of Pacem in Terris, an encyclical by Pope John XXIII on peace, human rights and international relations. The theme of the summit is “Addressing Human Dignity and Peace on Earth” and will include topics such as creation and migration, and local efforts addressing poverty and the environment.
Rodriguez Izquierdo feels particularly drawn to this year’s theme.
“We don’t see why peace on earth, migration and asylum seekers might be connected with the actions we take every day. So, seeing what the diocese was doing, and also the theme for the event, is why I decided to join this year.”
The Creation Summit seeks to draw people together from across the diocese. The event welcomes people of all faiths, ages and backgrounds.
“It’s the possibility for us to organize something that is feasible here in the diocese. It helps to foster participation and allows us to be together,” Rodriguez Izquierdo said.
Likewise, Hoffman, who participated on the planning committee for both the 2025 and 2026 Creation Summits, values the intergenerational component of the event.
“I loved it because young people are involved. Most of us that were participants were older, but we need to have the people that are in the generations to follow for whom we’re trying to raise this awareness.”
At its heart, the Creation Summit is an opportunity to see God in the beauty of creation. Hoffman believes it is important to share this beauty with others.
“I want to help people create for themselves this deep affection and love for the earth and awaken that love and desire in others.”
For more information and to register for the 2026 Creation Summit, click here.
