Many individuals struggle to make concrete commitments and steps to reduce our ecological footprint. So when the Maryland Jesuit parishes Holy Trinity and St. Ignatius reflected on how their faith communities could respond to the Pope Francis’ clarion call to respond to climate change, they looked for pathways to help parishioners move from prayer, reflection and awareness raising to action.
After a series of environmental justice educational, theological, and advocacy oriented presentations in the fall of 2015, Holy Trinity parish in Washington, D.C., wanted to find a way for parish families and households to put the teachings of Laudato Si’ into practice. Working with the Greater Washington D.C. branch of Interfaith Power and Light (IPL), Holy Trinity parishioners John Hisle and Mary Lou Rife organized a household energy efficiency workshop to offer community members practical ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
IPL moderated the Holy Trinity workshop and, with guidance and input from parish sustainability committee, developed a panel that included representatives from a solar energy company and clean energy purchasing company. Panelists offered concrete steps that parishioners can take, walking through their home to assess and resolve the largest sources of energy inefficiency. Attendees received encouragement to start with simple and easy improvements: recycling all the time or exploring ways to remove food scraps from the landfill waste stream by composting. Panelists offered ways to make sustainable decisions as a family. Parishioners learned about opportunities to purchase solar and wind energy, rather than fossil fuel sources. They also heard about the benefits and challenges of installing solar energy cells in individual households.
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Interfaith Power and Light has state chapters organized across the East Coast. To connect with IPL resources in your area, and explore the possibility of hosting a similar workshop, visit their website. For spirituality and reflection resources on care for creation with an Ignatian focus, click here.