Immaculate Conception Catholic Church answers the call to care for God’s creation in integral ways. Now, two years after their transition to solar energy, they will partner with Water With Blessings to bring clean drinking water to families in need.

In twin Earth Day messages, Pope Francis warned a gathering of world leaders and the global community at large that “we are at the edge” with climate change, and the time to take action is now.

Catholic Energies is proud to be a partner with the Order of Carmelites in developing solar where feasible across their national portfolio.

Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference (DFMC) features the Diocese of Richmond’s initiative to go solar, empowered by Catholic Energies. Pictured above: Solar installation underway on the Pastoral Center roof in Richmond, VA.

CMSM newsletter describes how Catholic Energies enabled the Passionists to adopt solar power. Fr. Jim says, “Our legacy will include the visual witness that we tried to do something about climate change.”

The Catholic Climate Covenant’s “Our Common Home” Blog features the latest episode of Empowering Good. This conversation invites us to learn more about practical steps to take better care of Creation, to serve our neighbor, and to empower good.

Mission Energy, which operates the Catholic Energies program, invites you to a webinar on February 25th at 12 p.m. Eastern. The presentation will be about 20-30 minutes, followed by the opportunity to ask questions.

Resource guide offers concrete steps for ecumenical planet care, conversation. It is a collaborative effort co-published by the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers (CADEIO), with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Climate Covenant.

A Vatican statement said the city-state was moving ahead with plans to substitute all its combustion engine cars with electric or hybrid vehicles. It said the Vatican, which began installing solar panels in 2008 and banned single-use plastic bags last year, was now recycling 65% of its waste and aimed to reach 75% in 2023.

To plan and roll out the projects, the diocese is working in partnership with Catholic Energies, a service of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Catholic Climate Covenant, which helps guide the U.S. Catholic Church’s response on climate change. Catholic Energies has been able to secure almost $3 million in financing for the installation of solar arrays in the diocese, said Dan Last, Catholic Energies’ program manager.

…the Vatican issued operational guidelines on the environment for dioceses and parishes…Specifically, it recommends speeding up investment in sustainable infrastructure and establishing ethical investment principles that "promote responsible investments in social and environmental sectors, for example by evaluating progressive disinvestment from the fossil-fuel sector."

“I hope the impact of this project is that other Catholic agencies and institutions will see that energy efficiency and renewable energy work are the right thing to do by God’s creation and help their financial bottom line, enabling utility cost savings to be used to support their core mission,” says Dan Misleh, Catholic Climate Covenant’s executive director.

“Is it a cheat to have this bundle win an award as opposed to a single standout project? We obviously do not think so, and in fact that’s what makes this project award-worthy; none of these single projects is even possible without the whole. That innovation to get solar into a grossly underserved segment is worth celebrating.”

Catholic Energies news and project updates for October 2020

The head of the U.S. bishops’ domestic justice office delivered a plea directly to the nation’s legislative branch Oct. 1 on behalf of the planet: “Creation needs Congress to act.”

Catholic Energies needs your vote! Catholic Energies is honored to have our portfolio of projects with the Catholic Diocese of Richmond nominated for Solar Builder’s Project of the Year Awards…

Catholic organizations own up to 100,000 buildings in the U.S., as well as land, and Catholic Energies is helping them go solar. “The market is enormous,” said the program’s leader.

…Charles Mikell, director of the diocese’s Office of Real Estate, said his goal is for the diocese to be the “greenest” in the country. Employing solar energy is cost-effective for 70 percent of the diocese’s 146 parishes and 26 schools, he said, adding that he hopes all will have solar energy within three years…

The Diocesan projects are being developed in partnership with Catholic Energies, a service of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Catholic Climate Covenant, which helps guide the U.S. Church’s response on climate change and care for creation.