You're Invited–Join us for our March events

At Sojourners, we believe the journey toward justice is one we take together—rooted in faith, sustained by hope, and strengthened by community. In a season that asks more of our witness, these gatherings are a place to steady ourselves, tell the truth, and practice courage with others. SojoAction Events bring people of faith and conscience together online and in person to learn, connect, and take action—especially when the path forward feels uncertain or costly. This March, we’ll explore what disciplined, faith-rooted resistance can look like on the ground; how we stay responsive to one another’s needs; how the gospel confronts extreme wealth; and how we build belonging across deep divides. See upcoming Events March Events March 4-5, in-person, all day This workshop session goes beyond theory. It focuses on how clergy and faith communities are organizing real, disciplined, nonviolent civil resistance. Find out more March 10th, virtual, 7pm ET Expert-led discussion on immigration: what’s shifting, what’s needed, what helps. Register March 11th, virtual, 1pm ET Gospel-grounded talk on extreme wealth, moral witness, and a more just economy. Register March 12th, virtual, 7pm ET A candid conversation on patriarchy, power, and exclusion in the Black church. Register We hope you’ll join us in the weeks ahead—so we can learn together, strengthen one another, and move toward faithful action with clear vision and steady hope. In hope and action, Cortnie Brooks Digital Education and Outreach Specialist, Sojourners Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842

EarthBeat Weekly: Oil wells on LA Archdiocese land finally plugged after decade-long struggle

Oil wells on LA Archdiocese land plugged after decade-long struggle   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change February 27, 2026 A community activist holds a sign referencing Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' during a rally Oct. 4, 2017, outside the chancery of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Residents and allies of the University Park neighborhood were urging the archdiocese to end its lease with AllenCo Energy. (Courtesy of STAND-LA) More than a decade ago, residents in the University Park neighborhood in south Los Angeles began noticing foul smells in the air. Accompanying the odors was a rash of health ailments, among them: extensive nosebleeds, nausea, headaches and extreme asthma attacks.  As neighbors started sharing stories, they realized they were not alone. Eventually, they began to look for the source and ultimately discovered an oil production facility in their backyards, behind a 12-foot wall across from an apartment building and down the street from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.  The facility was operated by an oil company called AllenCo Energy. The land on which it sat was owned by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Since that discovery in 2011, a year after the health issues began arising, community activists mounted a dedicated campaign to not only suspend operations at the AllenCo site but to ultimately shut it down and ensure oil drilling would not occur in their neighborhood ever again.  That goal was finally achieved in February, when the process to permanently plug and seal all 21 oil wells at the AllenCo site was completed, as I reported Friday for EarthBeat. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Feb. 11 the formal shuttering of oil production at the site, which was done as part of a state effort to clean up orphaned oil and gas wells, with partial funding from the Biden administration's bipartisan infrastructure law. Esperanza Community Housing, a community development nonprofit originally founded by a Catholic sister that led the People Not Pozos campaign that mounted the push to shut down the AllenCo site, celebrated the finality of oil drilling at the facility. "This is a reflection of people power and a step towards repairing the harm imposed on our communities," it said in a statement. "The plugging of these 21 abandoned oil wells turns the page on decades of neglect and stalling tactics by this company," Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, said in a statement. "Thanks to the community's hard work and perseverance, this neighborhood can finally start a new chapter free of toxic pollution." The Los Angeles Archdiocese has owned the land where AllenCo Energy was drilling for oil since the 1950s, when the family of Edward Doheny, one of the city's early oil barons and a prominent Catholic philanthropist, donated the valuable parcel to the local church. The AllenCo site, along with a second drilling facility known as the Murphy site, served as regular revenue streams for the archdiocese for decades. While no drilling has occurred at the AllenCo site since the oil company voluntarily halted operations in 2013, the Murphy site, which also sits within a residential neighborhood, continues pumping for oil, with 28 of its 34 wells active. The archdiocese has maintained it has no direct control or oversight of the oil production facilities on the land it owns nor the ability to terminate the leases. In a statement to EarthBeat, the archdiocese said it is "pleased" that the oil wells at the University Park drilling site have been successfully plugged, adding it "continues its commitment to ensuring that the health and well-being of the surrounding communities are protected and prioritized."  Read more: Oil wells on LA Archdiocese land permanently sealed after years of community pressure   What else is new on EarthBeat:   Caring for creation this Lent by Mitchell T. Rozanski, OSV News "Like the popes and bishops speaking up to protect God's creation, our Catholic faith calls all of us to bring our values to public life, too," Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of St. Louis writes. Read more here »   Display of St. Francis of Assisi's bones confirms enduring appeal of relics for Christians by Nicole Winfield, Gregorio Borgia, Associated Press The bones of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, went on public display for the first time Sunday, capping an 800-year saga over his bodily remains and confirming the enduring appeal to Christians of venerating a saint's relics. Read more here »   Trump's treatment of the vulnerable shifted the US Catholic bishops' politics by Thomas Reese Since the start of second Trump presidency, the U.S. bishops have repeatedly pushed back on his administration's policies, including on immigration and the environment. Read more here »   Delight in the simple, abundant gifts all around you by Pauline Hovey Could it be that this was what God was asking of me: to take stock in the simple, abundant gifts all around me, delight in them like a child and find myself delighting in the Holy One right in front of me? Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: About 6.5 million people in Somalia face acute hunger due to drought, government and UN say —Abdi Sheikh, Abdirahman Hussein and George Obulutsa for Reuters Jesse Jackson's vision for America embraced environmental justice —Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco for WBEZ Chicago Kennedy doubles down on defense of Trump glyphosate order amid MAHA backlash —Rachel Frazin for The Hill States snub Trump's plan to ease 'forever chemicals' limits —Miranda Willson for E&E News These data center developers asked Trump for an exemption from pollution rules —Naveena Sadasivam for Grist EPA's clean school bus 'revamp' means less support for EVs —Marianne Lavelle for Inside Climate News Supreme Court to weigh oil-industry effort to end a major climate suit —Karen Zraick for The New York Times Illinois cities move to cut ties with a massive coal plant —Kari Lydersen for Canary Media Final Beat: If you like what you read here, support our reporting by becoming a NCR Forward member.  Members get first access to special events, updates from our publisher and newsroom, and opportunities to give feedback through surveys and polls. You can also forward this newsletter to a friend and ask them to subscribe. As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement

Truth and Action Roundup 2.27.2026

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source for information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. Thank you for opening yet another edition of Truth and Action Roundup. You may not always see me in the newsletter headlines, but if you follow us on social media, there’s a good chance you’ve seen my work. My name is Kassy, and I serve as the digital content and community specialist at SojoAction. I help shape the posts, emails, and digital spaces where our advocacy continues throughout the week. Which, now that I mention it, are you following us? You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, YouTube, and LinkedIn @sojoaction. Social media can often feel noisy or overwhelming, but we see it as another place to practice faithful presence, a space where justice, faith, and action intersect in real time. My role is to help ensure our message not only informs but also invites. Behind every graphic, caption, and action alert is a hope that someone will feel empowered to engage rather than discouraged to disengage. Long before I worked in advocacy, I was shaped by life on the U.S.-Mexico border. I am a Mexican American who grew up moving between cultures, languages, and communities in a way that felt completely ordinary at the time. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized how much that experience formed my understanding of belonging, identity, and access. What felt natural to me, living connected to two places at once, is not a reality afforded to everyone. As an adult, I began to understand how policy decisions affect real families and how systems can either create opportunity or deepen hardship. Later, when I became a Christian, my faith deepened that awareness. I encountered a Jesus who crossed boundaries, centered the marginalized, and revealed that justice is not separate from discipleship. That realization continues to shape why I care so deeply about the work we do here. Each week, as I join the team in crafting and sending this newsletter, I’m reminded that advocacy is ultimately about people. It’s about neighbors, families, and communities who deserve dignity and a voice. The headlines we cover are important, but so is the spirit in which we engage with them. We believe informed action is one way we live out our faith in public. The Truth and Action Round Up (TARU) is more than an update; it’s an invitation to participate. Whether you are calling a representative, signing a petition, praying intentionally or sharing a post, your engagement matters. I’m grateful to be part of a community that refuses to separate faith from justice or hope from action. Thank you for showing up here, and I hope you’ll continue showing up with us, in your inbox, in your communities, and yes, maybe even on Instagram. –– Kassy Tapia, Sojourners In the News Here’s a look at what happened this week: 1 President Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, filled with partisan spin (as usual) and outright falsehoods. The address came amid his continued focus on implementing his deportation regime. Trump’s speech was the longest State of the Union address in modern American history, breaking the record he set last year. Several Democrats protested during the speech, and Rep. Al Green was escorted from the House chamber for the second year in a row—this time after displaying a sign that read “Black people aren’t apes!,” referencing the racist video depicting the Obamas as apes that Trump posted and later deleted. Trump used the speech to scapegoat migrant people and defend his cruel deportation regime, highlighting individual crimes committed by undocumented people but failing to mention the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, or the three dozen people who have died in ICE custody since he took office. He also boasted that he has brought about “the strongest border in American history by far.” Meanwhile, his approval ratings on immigration have fallen amid his administration’s draconian actions, with one survey putting his approval rating at just 38 percent. 2. International news was once again dominated this week by the prospect of war with Iran, though developments in Gaza and with the so-called Board of Peace are also worth noting. Trump addressed the looming possibility of military conflict with Iran in his State of the Union speech, saying that Iran’s nuclear program was “totally obliterated” last summer and that the U.S. may still have to use force to stop Iran’s “sinister nuclear ambitions.” Iran pushed back Wednesday against Trump’s pressure tactics ahead of talks between the two nations in Geneva. Iran both accused Trump of “big lies” and held out the possibility that “honorable diplomacy” could lead to an agreement between the nations. Trump’s Board of Peace met last week for the first time to discuss rebuilding Gaza. Critics have pointed to its creation by U.S. executive order rather than by international treaty as a major reason to doubt its prospects, with one expert saying that it “seems more like a private club than an international organization.” Flooding in southeastern Brazil claimed at least 46 lives this week, with more than 3,000 residents forced to leave their homes. The mayor of Juiz de Fora, one of the cities most affected by the flooding, said that at least 20 landslides had been reported since the torrential rain began. Cuba said its forces fatally shot four heavily armed people as they attempted to “infiltrate” its territory on a Florida-registered speedboat on Wednesday. The deadly incident took place amid high tensions between the U.S. and Cuba in the wake of last month’s U.S. military strike on Venezuela and Trump administration rhetoric about regime change and an oil blockade leveled at the Cuban government. 3. International fallout for public figures at the highest levels of wealth and power continued this week, stemming from the release of the Epstein files. The U.S. Department of Justice has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, a new NPR investigation has found. It also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump. Former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified Thursday to a U.S. House of Representatives panel that is investigating Epstein’s crimes. She and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have both agreed to testify to the House Oversight Committee this week about their ties to Epstein. Take Action Here’s a call to Christians nationwide in our crisis of faith and democracy On March 10, we’ll be continuing our Engage and Adapt webinar series. What We’re Reading “The Year-Long Experiment Killing Foreign Aid Has Been A Disaster” | “In so many ways, our investments in global health, food security, and anti-poverty programs are critical pro-life investments that save and protect millions of lives around the world.” (by Adam Russell Taylor) “ICE Must Be Abolished. Can Truth and Reconciliation Follow?” | “These commissions would address crimes, civil rights violations, and human rights abuses committed by ICE, CBP, and other federal agents.” (by Hannah Bowman) Deep Breaths Sometimes I sit and look at the headlines, asking whose world is this? There is such obvious polarization—the haves and the have-nots—that it has become normalized. The rich are getting richer, while those whose backs are against the wall no longer even have a wall to lean on. Whose world is this? If you asked folks in the Nation’s Capital or in the mainstream media, they might tell you the world belongs to corporations, banks, billionaires, and other potentates. They act as if it is theirs and no one else counts. So they give speeches full of lies and dog whistles, puff their chests out, rename buildings, and undo traditions with their Sharpies—while children cry, locked up in detention centers. Whose world is this? A place where cash rules everything around us. Where influence alone earns high positions in government, with no experience required. A world where diversity is declared illegal and any language besides English is treated as irrelevant. I’m sorry, but there is something oligarchs seem not to understand: The world is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof. The Creator of heaven and earth still holds the wind and the rain. Whose world is this? The world is still the Lord’s—no matter what some may say or do. It might not look like God is in control, with evil ever present. Some may doubt that God is making all things new. God is still moving, quietly, steadily, relentlessly beneath the noise of empire and the clamor of greed. While headlines shout of decay, God is planting seeds. In neighborhoods written off as hopeless, new leaders are rising. In communities pressed down, mutual aid is blooming. In sanctuaries and on sidewalks, people are choosing courage over fear, truth over propaganda and love over cruelty. The Spirit is still breathing on dry bones, still stirring holy imagination, still unsettling what is unjust and strengthening what is good. What looks like endings are often the trembling beginnings of something being born. God is making crooked places straight and bringing mountains low. The work is not always loud, but it is alive. It is not finished. And neither are we. ––Rev. Moya Harris, Sojourners The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps Political Director: Chad V. Stanton Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims Donate Subscribe Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842