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. 

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:

Green Bag Initiative: The Diocese of San Jose will has distributed resusable grocery bags to parishioners beginning in September, eliminating the need for plastic or paper bags.

Solar Panel Project: Five San Jose parishes -- Holy Spirit, Holy Family, St. Christopher, Queen of the Apostles and St. Lucy -- plus Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Los Altos have placed solar panels on rooftops, parking lots and in open, unused acreage at the cemetery.

Committee Team Info

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 
• "Solar Power:  Let the Sunshine In,"  National Catholic Reporter, July 9, 2009
• "Diocese Puts Faith in Solar Power", San Jose Mercury News, November 7, 2009 

Catholic Green Initiative in The Valley Catholic:

• "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