Planting Seeds for a Sustainable Future
by Kelly Marsicano, Communications Coordinator
Closeup of a bee hovering over the wildflowers in the St. Michael Villa Garden.
“We ask that those who nourish and sustain these ministries may be good stewards of all that is given into their hands — people, resources, Earth itself.”
This statement comes from the foundational document Hopes and Aspirations for the Future of Our Ministries, 2012, which expresses the commission entrusted to Peace Ministries by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.
We believe that creation is a gift of God, deserving our reverence and care. We show our respect for creation by acting as stewards, mindful of our responsibility to future generations.
Sustainable Peace Ministries was founded in 2019. The committee consists of representatives from each of the five sponsored ministries—Holy Name, Peace Care, St. Joseph’s School for the Blind, Waterspirit, and York Street Project—who gather quarterly to share best practices and sustainability efforts. Leaders meet to collaborate on resources and ideas for making each ministry more sustainable and contribute to the Congregation’s desire to live a “Covenant of Peace with Earth.”
Sustainable Peace Ministries was formed after the Congregation developed a Land Ethic that names ecological sustainability as one of our time’s most urgent religious and moral challenges. There are five foundational principles of the CSJP Land Ethic, including Earth is sacred; land has its own intrinsic value; Earth is endangered by human activity; care of creation, justice for the poor and peace are inseparably connected; and intergenerational justice.
The group works to incorporate Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ and the 2023 apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, which speaks to the global climate crisis. The Congregation’s continued efforts incorporating the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform are deeply connected to the work and endeavors of Sustainable Peace Ministries.
Here is a look at some of the productive efforts being made within the sponsored ministries of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.
Holy Name
Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck has been awarded a second PSE&G Carbon Abatement Grant. This $12 million project includes energy efficiency upgrades and mechanical equipment replacements that include new LED interior lighting, central plant chillers, and cooling towers and pumps.
The project is financed upfront by PSE&G, which then pays about a third of the total project cost. Another third is through an interest-free loan, which is covered by the savings in utilities. And the final third is paid for by the hospital.
This Carbon Abatement Project will provide a total energy savings of about $683,000 annually. This saved energy equates to removing 4,175 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This reduction has an environmental benefit equivalent to any of the measures seen in Figure 1.
“The environmental impact is significant. The financial impact is huge. Those are the two main drivers,” said Steve Mosser, executive vice president of operations at Holy Name.
Peace Care
Many initiatives are underway at both campuses of Peace Care in Jersey City. At Peace Care St. Ann’s, a Go Green Committee has long been in place and focuses on single-stream recycling, eliminating Styrofoam, replacing fluorescent lighting with LED, composting, and utilizing rain catchers to water plants.
They are currently working on solar connectivity for its Adult Medical Day Care building and continuing a window replacement project in the resident building. The first phase of that was completed in 2022. The final phase is anticipated to begin this year with the assistance of a Jersey City Community Development Block Grant. The facility will also replace the boilers with high-efficiency water boilers.
“These projects are important to Peace Care St. Ann’s because we want to reduce our normal energy and utility reliance on electricity and water sources to save our planet,” said Facilities Director Earl Leonardo.
Peace Care St. Ann’s, as well as its sister facility Peace Care St. Joseph’s, host many Earth Week activities with employees, clients and residents. One of those activities includes planting fruits and vegetables with residents in the Sensory Garden at Peace Care St. Ann’s, which is then harvested by the dining services staff to use for resident meals.
St. Joseph’s School for the Blind
A greenhouse has been built for the adult services program at St. Joseph’s School for the Blind in Jersey City. The project is funded through a grant the school received from Hudson County.
The director of adult services, Maureen Weining, and facilities manager, Brandon Horton, collaborated with fellow Sustainable Peace Ministries committee members Anne Price and Rachel Dawn Davis of Waterspirit to come up with ideas regarding location, ventilation, types of plants, and some greenhouse options.
According to Horton, the goal is to make everything that will be planted sensory-friendly, incorporating smell, texture and sound.
“The installation of the greenhouse is an exciting endeavor for our adult program. By incorporating sensory-friendly plants, we will have created an environment that caters to [our clients’] unique needs. The scent of the flowers, textures of the leaves, and eventually taste of the garden provides a multi-sensory experience that connects them with nature in a profound way,” said Horton. “This project not only adds beauty to our grounds but also fosters a sense of independence and accomplishment as we actively engage with the seeding, potting, watering, and growing of our plants.”
St. Michael Villa
Last spring, the grounds at St. Michael Villa in Englewood Cliffs underwent a beautification with the addition of a native wildflower garden. It stretches along the 550-foot paver path to the gazebo located at the northeast end of the property known as “the Point.”
In addition to its beauty, the garden serves a greater purpose—attracting pollinators, such as hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Native plants provide nectar, pollen and seeds that serve as food for native animals and insects. These plants also help promote biodiversity and stewardship of the natural heritage.
York Street Project
Similar to the other ministries, York Street Project in Jersey City will undergo a lighting retrofit, replacing fluorescent lighting with energy-saving LEDs. The organization consists of three buildings—St. Joseph’s Home at 81 York Street, York Street Project at 89 York Street, and St. Mary’s Residence at 240 Washington Street.
Once the retrofit is complete, each building will have a significant positive environmental impact. St. Mary’s will see the biggest effect with nearly 110,000 pounds of carbon dioxide saved from the atmosphere annually. That’s the equivalent of almost 5,600 gallons of gas consumed. See Figure 2 for further impacts.
Waterspirit
While Waterspirit may not undergo energy-saving changes to its Rumson office as a tenant of its current space, it is making significant waves regarding caring for and protecting God’s creation.
As the eco-spirituality ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Waterspirit helps inform, inspire and empower people through a multitude of programs and advocacy. The organization holds beach cleanups, rain barrel workshops, nature walks, and microplastic beach surveys.
Waterspirit Program Manager Anne Price recalls when a volunteer sifting for microplastics came upon a very tiny clam and was moved during that moment. “I knew asking people to help me protect the waters would help foster a deeper appreciation for all creation,” Price said. “All of Waterspirit’s events are like this. We think we are just hosting a program, but it is so much more. We are truly promoting transformations of our participants.”
Waterspirit provides engaging programs for schools, churches, businesses, and other community groups. “When we invite participants to tour a supporter’s sustainable home, educate a club on the value of native plants, or even invite guests to join us for a celebration of a solstice or equinox, we are offering our followers a sense of community. We help them strengthen their personal commitments to live a more sustainable life,” Price added.
In addition, Waterspirit advocates for environmental justice and equitable access to clean water; stormwater management and green infrastructure; and renewable energy; and Executive Director Blair Nelsen serves as one of the representatives for the Congregation at the United Nations.
Through these acts of stewardship, the co-sponsored ministries are heeding the Chapter Call of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. They are reading the signs of these new times, which demand a change of heart: to be, think and act differently.
This article appeared in the Autumn 2024 issue of Living Peace.