Environmental Justice

Catholic Green Initiative of Santa Clara County

.....to encourage area Catholics to conserve water and energy, to become more educated about conservation efforts and environmentally friendly practices for the home and workplace and to collaborate on a unified green vision for the diocese. 

Earth Day, April 22, 2012

Click HERE for an informative brochure with contact information. 

Learn how to establish a Green Team program at your parish with this helpful packet!

Click here for the "Called to Care for God's Creation" Workshop Series packet created by the CGI Education Committee.

The Diocese of San Jose agrees to:

• PRAY and reflect on our responsibility to care for God's creation and protect the poor and vulnerable;
• LEARN about and educate others about climate change;
• ASSESS how we contribute to climate change (in the chancery, our parishes and schools, and our families);
• ACT to reduce our climate change impact;
• ADVOCATE Catholic principles in climate change discussions and policy work.

What the Diocese of San Jose is doing:

PRAY.  Throughout the year, St. Thomas Aquinas' parish has included prayers for protection of the environment and those impacted by climate change in their Mass petitions. The Green Team at St Martin of Tours designed a series about Caring for Creation for Lent 2012.

LEARN.  Holy Family Parish is working to build its Green Team. Their focus is educating the community about minimizing trash and encouraging recycling and composting whenever possible.

ASSESS.  Santa Teresa has begun a water audit. St. Thomas Aquinas Green Team developed an Energy Audit Checklist to be used with their facilities audits.

ACT.  St. Thomas Aquinas Parish replaced an older stove with an energy efficient model. St. Mary Parish is transitioning to paper products that are gentle to the earth. St Cyprian Parish conducted an energy audit and is one of six diocesan sites to have installed solar panels.

ADVOCATE.  St. Thomas Aquinas Parish placed a bulletin insert against Prop. 23, the November 2012 ballot measure that would have suspended California's Assembly Bill 32.AB32 is the California Global Warming Solutions Act that was approved in 2006. St. Mary School participated in a "Walk for Water" to raise awareness about the global water crisis.

Committee Team Info

Catholic Green Initiative in The Valley Catholic:

• "The St. Francis Pledge: honoring God's creation" March 13, 2012
• "CGI Committe addresses 'Precious water - bottling God's gift" February 14, 2012
• "Holy Family Parish puts priority on saving environment" January 17, 2012
• "Responding to climate change is our moral responsibility" December 13, 2011
• "WATER: The basis of life" November 15, 2011
• "The diocesan chancery building and sustainable design..." October 18, 2011
• "The Church's call, our response to environmental stewardship," September 13, 2011
• "Caring for Creation: The Catholic Church's position on the environment," August 16, 2011
• "Cuidado de la Creacion. La Postura de la Iglesia Catolica acerca del Medio Ambiente," August 16, 2011
• "Deanery 5 series on environmental justice focuses on personal conservation practices," May 18, 2010
• "Catholic Green Initiative convenes second Town Hall gathering on the environment," May 18, 2010

Catholic Green Initiative in the Media:

• "San Jose Diocese Installs Solar Panels at Catholic Schools, Cemetery," April 19, 2010
• "Diocese of San Jose Goes Green,"  California Catholic Conference, 2009 
• "Green Initiatives in San Jose Diocese,"  America Magazine, April 20-27, 2009