More links for the Archives subsection

Select One News Archives Faith Stories Archives Profiles in Faith Archives Thea Resources

FSPA-sponsored institutions recognized for earth-friendly practices

Just as ecospirituality is part of the charism of the Franciscan Sisters, that same spirit also carries through in many of the FSPA-sponsored institutions.

Franciscan Skemp Healthcare's St. Francis building in La Crosse, Wis., is an Energy Star Award recipient. Photo courtesy of Teresa Hase

In May of last year, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare in La Crosse received an Energy Star Award for the St. Francis Building, the first health care building in southwestern Wisconsin to receive such recognition. The award is given by the National Environmental Protection Agency to buildings with proven energy management systems and superior energy efficiency. But the hospital isn’t stopping there. In addition to seeking out opportunities for energy efficiency within their buildings, they have recently purchased a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid for the security department’s needs.

Prairiewoods Spirituality Center, outside Cedar Rapids, Iowa, offers a place for spiritual discovery in an ecological paradise. Concrete evidence of the center’s founding principles is everywhere: cloth napkins are used, rather than paper ones; an organic garden helps feed visitors and staff; cleaning products are non-toxic and biodegradable; solar energy heats the water in the guest house; and landscaping is developed to maximize available habitat for wildlife and minimize necessary maintenance. As a result of the earth-friendly practices, Prairiewoods has received a number of awards (see below).

Day to day operations also tell the story at Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, where bottled water is never purchased or sold, fair trade coffee is served and use of disposable items has been reduced by the use of silverware and glass dishes. The Franciscan Spirituality Center is also examining the cost and benefits of using cloth napkins versus paper.

The quest to serve as good stewards of the Earth’s resources is an ongoing effort, and as such, decision-makers at many FSPA-sponsored institutions continue to research effective ways of reducing, reusing and recycling. More than that—the spirituality centers in particular offer an opportunity for everyone to not only nurture a “right relationship” with the Earth, but to reverence the many gifts from the Earth, while cradled by them.

Click here to return to the Perspectives page.