Calgary Diocese going green

Monthly eco-bulletin steers parishioners to environmental responsibility

Design Pics photot Fr. Wilbert Chin Jon says recycling needs to be followed by the purchase of recycled materials. Otherwise, “it’s almost pointless.”

By SARA LOFTSON
Special to the WCR
Calgary

Going green is in at the stewardship office in the Diocese of Calgary.

"The first thing I would think about is the environment when I think about stewardship," said Simone Brosig, the 30-something stewardship director. "For a younger generation it's an obvious connection, but maybe not for the older generation."

While the environment is not the only priority for the stewardship office, Brosig said it is one of them.

In March the office launched an eco-stewardship blog penned by Brosig and pastor Father Wilbert Chin Jon of rural parishes St. Catherine and St. Ambrose in Coaldale. They post environmental tips and reflections as a way of raising awareness about ecological issues in relation to the Catholic faith.

"Eco-stewardship is more of a holistic spirituality; it's a way of life. It's not just about global warming, it's our whole relationship with things that have been entrusted to us by God," said Brosig.

"I hope that (the blog) triggers something in the mind of the reader . . . to make somebody think of the environment differently, in the eyes of discipleship, no matter how simple or dramatic," said Chin Jon.

He suggested the blog's name, Common Home. "It not only reminds us that we live in a common home - Earth, but also it should be practical and deal with matters concerning the common home."

Despite the fact that Chin Jon thinks the average parish has a lower impact on the environment compared with the common home, he has made environmentally sustainable changes to his parishes.

Styrofoam gone

The first big change was replacing styrofoam cups at social events and meetings with reusable mugs. The parish recycles, but Chin Jon said buying items made from recycled materials is just as important.

"You can recycle as much as you can but if you don't buy anything made from recycled products then you don't allow the recycling cycle to be completed. It's almost pointless," said the 34-year-old priest. He personally uses items like paper towels, tissue paper and unbleached coffee filters made from recycled materials.

"It's all about being more discerning with our shopping habits and choices. It's never going to be perfect, but we should all do what we can and be more intelligent shoppers."

Brosig added that eco-stewardship is closely tied to our habits as consumers. "We live in a culture of want, but stewardship challenges us to cultivate a sense of abundance. It's not what we buy, but do we need to buy in the first place? Who suffers if we consume a lot? It becomes a social justice issue as well."

In addition to the blog, in February Brosig also started posting monthly eco-bulletins on the stewardship website, which gets distributed in most diocesan parish bulletins. Two volunteer parish

ioners supply environmentally-themed Scripture passages and inspirational quotes to coincide with practical environmental tips including, how to recycle, compost and use less energy.

The eco-bulletin caught the attention of Michael Murphy, the executive director of the International Catholic Stewardship Council. He asked permission to use the material in the council's April stewardship newsletter.

With Earth Day falling on April 22, Murphy thought, it was appropriate to focus on eco-stewardship. "The eco-bulletin is a good teaching tool and we thought it's a very important contribution from Dr. Brosig and the Catholic Church in Calgary," said Murphy from his office in Washington, D.C.

Care for the earth

"Part of our obligation as Christians is to care for and nurture the Earth; it comes right out of our biblical tradition. The Lord has turned over the dominion of the Earth to human beings to cultivate and care for it."

Next on the agenda for Brosig is to offer a workshop in the autumn dealing with eco-spirituality from a biblical, historical and theological perspective.

"As the business of 'green' products takes off, it is important to root our efforts to sustain the environment in a properly oriented spirituality," she said.

Other offices in the Calgary Diocese are also tackling the environment as it relates to faith. The social justice office is hosting a conference called Protecting the Environment - Protecting our Health: Taking Action, Saving Lives held May 8 in Lethbridge and May 10 in Calgary.

Dr. Kristin Shrader-Frechette from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana will speak about environmental threats to health. For information call 218-5514.

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