Blessed Trinity Parish is taking steps to "provide for the needs of this generation without jeopardizing the needs of future generations" by establishing the Urban Center for Sustainability.
The parish is using a $30,000 grant from the High Wind Association Foundation of Plymouth, Wisconsin, some of which will be spent on staff.
Coordinator Carol Waskovich, a parishioner and former English teacher who said she's "always had an interest in nature and global warming" has the new role of developing the Urban Center for Sustainability.
It's not clear how the Center will be funded after the grant money is spent.
Fr. Michael Barrett, pastor of Blessed Trinity, sent a letter to parishioners in October, informing them of the grant and the new Urban Center for Sustainability. "The dream of our Stewardship Committee is that our parish campus can become a model and a visitation site for others looking at ways to provide for the needs of this generation without jeopardizing the needs of future generations," wrote Fr. Barrett.
Was this letter prompted by controversy over this project? The article doesn't say.
"We have a magnificent opportunity to make a difference in our huge world by making some changes in our own little worlds," he continued. Those changes may include "compact fluorescent bulbs, faucet aerators, programmable thermostats and restricted time of use energy consumption.
That's rather basic, isn't it? Like turn out the lights when you leave the room, wear a sweater instead of raising the thermostat, add insulation, replace old window caulk, check the mileage rating when buying a car, keep the tires properly inflated, avoid jackrabbit starts.
"As a parish, we can also become a new way to be church, tending to the stewardship and care of God’s gracious gift of Mother Earth... ."
This assumes there was a need for this new way "to be church".
Our Archdiocese answers the question What is Stewardship only in general terms. An argument could be made for almost any expenditure in terms of some meaning of the word "stewardship". That is little help with the hard question of what should have priority. That energy efficiency in parish operations is good stewardship does not make the parish running an energy efficiency center good stewardship.
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