Bishop Fred Colli has initiated a campaign to help care for our environment. Custom-made green bags, which can be used instead of throw-away plastic bags, are available at participating parishes in the diocese and at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Thunder Bay. The sturdy bags are made of heavy fabric and are designed for long-term use. The price is only $1 per bag.

The bag has a large diocesan coat of arms on one side and the words "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was good" (Gen. 1:31).

"I used my bag recently on a shopping trip," says Bishop Colli. "People told me that they liked the bag. They asked me where I got it and I told them we’re making them available from Catholic churches in the Diocese of Thunder Bay."

Using the bag is also a form of evangelization which shows that Catholics care for the environment, the Bishop says.

The Bishop’s theological inspiration for the project came from a letter from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops entitled "Our Relationship with the Environment: The Need for Conversion." Attractive copies of this letter will be included inside each bag available for sale.

Disposable plastic bags are produced by the millions and making them uses up large quantities of nonrenewable resources. Cheap plastic bags are not biodegradable and are often improperly disposed of. Too often, they litter parks, forests, rivers and lakes and pose a hazard to wildlife. Because some stores charge for plastic bags, using a fabric bag can save people money.