Rita and Ken Bresnan are active members and volunteers at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Indianola, Iowa. Now retired, the couple leads their church’s creation care team, a group they formed several years back in response to their faith-inspired call to care for our common home and the people most impacted by the climate crisis.
Rita grew up on a 168-acre farm and spent much of her childhood outdoors, gardening and working on the farm. She developed a deep sense of respect for the earth through her father, who practiced organic farming methods and always urged their family to conserve water as a precious resource.
“I love God’s creation and I totally believe it is my moral responsibility to take care of God’s creation, whether it be the earth, the creatures on it, the poor,” says Rita. “So that’s why I do what I do.”
Her husband, Ken, attributes his involvement with the creation care team to his love for his grandchildren. He says he’s observed changes in the climate over the years and knows that the more people talk about environmental concerns, the more they can do something about it for future generations.
“One of the ways to talk with people [about caring for the climate] is [ask] ‘‘What kind of world do you want for your grandchildren?’ That’s why I’m involved,” says Ken.
Creation Care Team Beginnings
Six years ago, Rita participated in a faith-based climate action class where she learned more about environmental justice issues. At the end of the session, participants were asked the question: “What are you going to do with what you’ve learned to make a difference?”
Rita thought deeply about that question. As a music teacher for more than 50 years, her first instinct was to lean on her experience in education by teaching members of her parish about the Church’s call to care for creation. She raised the idea to Ken, who was excited and eager to help bring that idea to life.
The couple first started by reading Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home—Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on the environment. Then they hosted a four-session event for the church, walking through each section of Laudato Si’ and discussing connections between climate care and social concerns. At the end of the session, Rita posed the same question she had heard at her climate class: “What do you want to do with what you’ve learned to make a difference?” Participants raised the idea of starting a creation care team at their parish. Not long after, Rita and Ken helped move that idea forward and established a group that is still very active today.
Eco-Friendly Projects
The St. Thomas Aquinas creation care team meets once a month and plans multiple activities and events throughout the year. They also write content for a “Creation Care Corner” in the weekly church bulletin as well as a monthly email sent to subscribers—sharing tips on living green, appreciating nature, as well as reflections and quotes about creation care.
The very first project they tackled was establishing recycling options at the parish. Even though it seemed like such a small thing at the time, Rita shares that sometimes just meeting the church community where they’re at, and addressing even basic needs is important.
Once the recycling initiative was underway, the group began hosting educational activities after Sunday Masses. They handed out informational flyers and eco-friendly product samples like compostable garbage bags, laundry sheets, and mesh produce bags.
They also installed sign posts along the church’s 4.5-acre prairie, with interchangeable displays where they’ve exhibited educational and spiritual content. Once a year, they host a prairie celebration and invite families to enjoy food, activities for the kids, a bonfire, prayer time, and a guest speaker to talk about climate-related topics.
In addition to the prairie gathering, the team has implemented educational activities and events into the spiritual life and seasons of their church. One year they held a panel event featuring farmers from the parish who talked about their use of the land, sustainable practices, and issues in the industry that concerned them. During Advent and Lent, they’ve created action-oriented faith calendars and other educational resources. One year, they even hosted a soup supper where they provided a shortened explanation of Laudato Si’.
Although the creation care team is extremely active, Rita and Ken share that the biggest challenge they’ve observed is the political divide in their community, where issues are seen as red or blue, black or white. While many see climate as a political issue, the couple has been actively educating their faith community about how caring for creation and caring for people are interconnected and that climate concerns are also a matter of faith.
“To be a Catholic, to be a Christian, you need to take care of the earth, to respect it, to take care of the poor. It’s your moral responsibility,” says Rita. “And that’s one of the things that we’ve really tried to get across.”
Upcoming Creation Care Projects
Now that the creation care committee is more established at the church, they can visually see their progress as more and more people show interest in their activities, such as the educational handouts and sustainable products they give out. The team plans to further build on the projects and initiatives they’ve already been doing to continue reaching more people.
“We just feel like we’re water dripping on a stone and we’re just keeping at it,” says Rita. “One little drop at a time. I would think that it would have to have some effect on people. That’s our hope.”
One thing they’ve noticed is that their church is the only Catholic parish in the Des Moines Diocese with a creation care team that they’re aware of. But they would love to see more churches start one.
“Personally, I would love to see every parish have a creation care team,” says Rita. For churches who are interested in learning more, she recommends exploring already created resources—such as the materials from the Catholic Climate Covenant—for guidance on establishing a creation care team.
“Any parish can get into the creation care area if they so desire,” says Ken. “There’s nothing really special you need in your parish.”
Rita and Ken are part of the Iowa Faith and Climate Network’s Speaker Bureau and have given presentations and workshops on Laudato Si’ and other creation care topics. They hope to continue sharing their knowledge and serve as a go-to resource for others who want to start a creation care team at their church. They understand that while there are plenty of resources out there, sometimes just talking to someone is all it takes to gain the confidence and inspiration they need to get started.
Rita Bresnan (left) participates in a small group discussion at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Indianola in 2021 about caring for creation.
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish’s pastor, Father Adam Westphal, blessed the church’s prairie meditation stations in Indianola in 2023.
© 2025 Iowa Faith & Climate Network. Written by Deborah Douglas. Originally published at IowaFaithandClimate.org and reprinted with permission.
Iowa Faith & Climate Network equips individuals and communities across the state with information, training, and resources to take climate action. Learn more about how you can start an environmental project in your faith community by checking out our Iowa Eco-project Map.
Deborah Douglas is a mission-driven writer and content creator who is passionate about making a difference for people and the planet. Based in Ankeny, she enjoys gardening and spending time in nature with her family.