Eight hundred years ago, Saint Francis of Assisi preached the importance of compassion for the poor and vulnerable.

Jason Miller is with the Franciscan Action Network. He says the group draws inspiration from Saint Francis’s teachings.

Miller: “He was a man that started a movement within the Catholic Church that still lasts today. And we try to live up to his example as he inspires us to work for justice.”

Miller says that justice is often interwoven with environmental issues. So the group is working with marginalized communities that are more severely affected by climate change and air pollution.

Miller: “The folks that are impacted the most in the U.S. due to environmental issues are people of color. Air quality, and where they place power plants – those are all in communities where mostly people of color live.”

So in cities such as Washington D.C., New York, and Indianapolis, the Franciscan Action Network is hosting workshops on environmental justice. With a focus on African American and Latino Catholics, the goal is to help empower more people in these communities to act on climate change.

Reporting credit: Rosie Simon/ChavoBart Digital Media.