NOTE: The Environmental Stewardship Ministry is transitioning to "Laudato Si' Action Plan - On Care for Our Common Home." Please look for updates to this ministry coming soon.
Contact: Bob Weickert
Click here for more information about the Laudato Si' Action Plan at STM
Mission Statement/Purpose
Comprised of parishioners, the Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) was established in June, 2008 to pursue a two-part mission: the encouragement throughout the parish and school of the dimension of spirituality that can be called Christian environmental stewardship, and the establishment or improvement of environmental management practices in church and school buildings and grounds.
The St. Francis Pledge to care for Creation and the poor has been our seminal direction with its five-point program. We pledge to:
Major Activities
In addition to continuing with the ambitious portfolio of activities outlined above, we are focusing special attention on several new and expanded initiatives:
Bringing environmental concerns and “care for creation” more into the conscious awareness of all parishioners as a pillar of our faith
Further enhancements in energy conservation – Making full use of recent energy audits, efforts are continuing to identify root causes and implement further improvements in our parish energy usage.
Waste reduction for social events – To make full use of the new composting service described above and of our dishes and dishwasher, we want to “evangelize” user groups and help train them on using compostable ware or the parish dishes so that we further reduce our waste output. The user groups to be targeted are both parish groups and renters.
Assistance in environmental education – We will continue to seek avenues to cooperatively support and help develop and/or deliver where appropriate educational content (esp. in the science curriculum of the School) related to environmental issues and solutions. Spiritual and educational opportunities to help us understand how we can live on this earth as good stewards will be developed and encouraged for both adults and children. We also develop ideas for reducing, reusing, and recycling in the daily life of the church, the school, and the homes of parishioners and parents.
Meeting Frequency
Third Monday of every month, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Meeting Venue
Meetings are held via Zoom conferencing.
Estimated Time Commitment for Volunteers
Ideally, 1 hour meeting per month plus occasional help on special projects and/or monthly recycling table before mass. It’s quite alright to pick and choose…we understand everybody does not have time for nor is necessarily interested in all the things we do. We encourage would-be volunteers to try something they are interested in and grow your involvement based what you can handle and inspires you.
Special Skills
We Welcome You
We encourage you to consider the spiritual and practical reasons why you might wish to join Environmental Stewardship in working for environmental justice. If you are excited to participate in God’s new creation.... if you would like to expand your Care for Creation beyond your own household.... if you are attracted to this ministry, then come join us!