Sister Jeanette Klein Turns 100!
Sister Jeanette’s 100th birthday was celebrated with Sisters and family on May 23, 2026. This monumental event was shared by enjoying cake and treats, heartfelt stories and memories, gratitude and appreciation. Of all current living Sisters, from First Vows to today, Sister Jeanette has the most years as a member of the Community. A truly wonderful day, for a truly wonderful Sister.
Mary Zibrowski, Sister Services Coordinator
Karis Award Presentation
John Dols was presented with the prestigious Karis Award on May 14, 2026. A few members of his family were invited to enjoy the moment with him, along with some colleagues from the Mayo Facilities Department.
He is shown in the photos with his wife, Crystal, his daughter, Emmersen, and granddaughters, Mea and Devyn.
“Karis” comes from the Greek word for “caring.” This award formally recognizes individuals who consistently put the values into action in extraordinary ways as they serve patients, visitors and colleagues. The Karis Award recipient is an individual who is recognized for exceptional overall performance reflecting Mayo Clinic Values over a period of time. The values are an expression of the vision and intent of our founders, the original Mayo physicians and the Sisters of Saint Francis.
Congratulations, John!
JPIC Update
In Santa Marta, the local and the global came together for the health of the planet.
By JPIC Franciscans of Our Lady of Lourdes
Cojourners Lucio Rodriguez and Abilio Peña, and the students of Colegio San Francisco de Asís, and CASFA —Salomé, Hellen, William, Cristina, and Katerin— and Sister Carolina Pardo from JPIC of the Sisters of Saint Francis in Bogotá, Colombia, were architects and participants of the meeting “Spiritualities for a Transition beyond Fossil Fuels” that took place on April 24 in Santa Marta, Colombia. The gathering took place within the framework of the first international conference focused on a transition beyond Fossil Fuels, organized by Colombia and the Netherlands, April 24 and 29, 2026.
On April 24, more than 200 people from 18 organizations—including JPIC Franciscans, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist communities, as well as Indigenous spiritual traditions—invoked the spiritual strength of their diverse worldviews in a collective cry for the protection of all species threatened by the extraction and use of oil, coal, and gas. These fossil fuels are responsible for 80% of the emissions driving the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Participants also heard from scientists, church authorities, and spiritual leaders engaged in political advocacy, mobilization, knowledge production, and global public opinion work. Panel: “Faith and Ethics of the Transition Beyond Fossil Fuels.”
On the third panel, CASFA’s pastoral youth group, Sembradores de Paz (Sowers of Peace), participated on a panel alongside the world president of the Laudato Si’ Movement, representatives of the Churches and Mining Network, the Faith Network for Climate Justice, communities resisting coal extraction from the coal company Zurich International Trading S.A.S. in La Paz (Santander), and members of the Wayuu community resisting the Cerrejón Coal mine, owned by Glencore. The Lutheran World Federation and the Pan-Amazonian Network also intervened.
CASFA’s Pastoral Youth Group, Sembradores de Paz, offered each participant a seed, challenging them to choose whether to save it or plant it. From the stage, they displayed a banner reading: “The end of fossil fuels is born from a seed, and we are all sowers.”
Grandmother Blanca Nieves, an indigenous Muisca elder, addressed the youth as if passing on an inheritance: “We cannot allow the blood to continue to be extracted from our Mother Earth… Oil, coal, gold… Every drop, every fragment that we pluck is a desecration of her sacred entrails… We are wounding the heart of that which gives us life, sustenance, and our existence itself. It is time to stop this aggression, to cease this violence against our Pachamama. It is essential that we recover our native seeds, those that keep the memory of our land and the promise of the future.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBaiznQ_WsQ
Youth Voices and Demands
The youth spoke about their exclusion from major global climate discussions, despite the obligation—established by the Convention on the Rights of the Child—to include them. They shared the ecological practices they cultivate at school: the school garden, waste management initiatives, and the preschool program “Guardians of the Planet.”
From their testimony, they called on governments to:
• Strengthen local agri-ecological food production to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in transportation and agriculture
• Transform consumption habits by reducing single-use plastics and promoting recycling
• Declare territories free from fossil fuel extraction
• Guarantee the participation of children and youth in decision-making about the transition
Advocacy Achievements
A major achievement for the local Franciscan community was securing participation in high-level meetings with the governments of 58 countries, represented by Rev. Emilie Smith, co-chair of SICSAL, along with three other faith-based delegates.
The 18 coalitions present—representing spiritualities from around the world committed to climate justice—signed an alliance with the Non-Proliferation Fossil Fuel Treaty, recognizing it as a tool for advocacy, mobilization, and the generation of public opinion and knowledge. They emphasized the need for accountability mechanisms for states responsible for harm to human and ecological life due to fossil fuel use. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/llamado-ecumenico
They also committed to forming an Ethics Committee, connected to the Scientific Panel, to monitor the conference’s conclusions in relation to upcoming COPs on biodiversity, climate, and the Escazú Agreement on environmental defenders.
A Stance Against War
Spiritual communities also took a stance against war, echoing global voices such as Pope Leo XIV, Buddhist monks, and various churches. They highlighted the contradiction of discussing the end of fossil fuels while the global powers continue to use military force to seize not only oil, coal, and gas but also critical minerals and rare earth elements.
Conference Outcomes
At the close of the conference, the 58 participating states reached five key agreements, including:
1. Holding the second conference in early 2027, chaired by Ireland and Tuvalu.
2. Forming a coordination group including Colombia, the Netherlands, Tuvalu, Ireland, the UK, Denmark, Brazil, France, and the Marshall Islands.
3. Sharing the conference results with the COP30 presidency and contributing to the road toward COP31.
4. Identifying concrete ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen cooperation before the next conference.
5. Launching the Scientific Panel for the Global Energy Transition (SPGET)(https://www.minambiente.gov.co/conferencia-para-la-transicion-mas-alla-de-los-combustibles-fosiles-concluye-con-cinco-resultados-clave/)
As the Dutch environment minister noted, the countries gathered in Colombia represent 30% of global energy demand and 20% of global energy supply. In Santa Marta, a new multilateralism emerged for the defense of life—with meaningful participation from spiritual communities, CASFA, JPIC, SICSAL, and many others.
It was a privilege to take part in this crucial moment in our shared history.
