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. 

The Diocese of San Jose agrees to:

• PRAY to 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. Parishes, click here for your Green Bag order form.

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.

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