Franciscans for Earth

As Franciscans, care and honor of God’s creation is fundamental to our way of life.  There are numerous critical issues impacting Earth including climate change (i.e. global warming), the decline of biodiversity and environmental exploitation.  One of the major issues that plague this planet is the ever increasing amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere.  The old saying of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ is tried and true.  Here are some things that you can do to help lower the carbon footprint:

 

Reduce consumption of resources and emissions of pollutants through:

  • Driving less and carpooling/walking/biking/busing more
  • Cutting back on energy usage at home through purchasing EnergyStar appliances, replacing incandescent with compact fluorescent bulbs, setting your heating/cooling settings higher or lower in respective seasons, turning off and unplugging unused electronics, weatherizing your house, washing clothes in cold water and line drying
  • Consciously purchase items with less packaging
  • Install low-flow showerheads, low-flush toilets, repair leaks, use local planting for landscapes, collect rainwater for reuse

 

Purchase reusable durable goods and recycle materials you use:

  • Participate in your town/city program: recycle paper, metals, plastics, and glass
  • Buy recycled products – look for post-consumer recycled content.  Try to buy paper products that have more than 50% post-consumer content.
  • Compost – everything that is possible
  • Choose cloth over paper when using napkins, towels, bags, etc

 

Support Local and Sustainable Farming

  • Buy from the local Farmer’s Market – This saves cost and emissions, supports the local economy and is by far much more fresh
  • Become part of a Community Supported Agriculture or Community Garden project –Share holders invest in a small farm or garden plot in exchange for a weekly supply of fresh produce.

 

Act for the Environment

  • Contact your elected representatives and let them know that you support renewable, clean and earth enhancing policies
  • Report polluters in your community

 

 

If you would like to support the sisters in their efforts to be a Transforming Presence, click here.

Meet Our Sisters

Sr. Jacqueline Svellinger

Elementary School Teacher Logansport, Indiana A native of Dayton, Ohio, Sister Jacqueline is very proud of being a Franciscan Sister of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for 43 years. She was taught by the Franciscan Sisters and says she admired the Sisters who taught her. She remembers her first grade teacher, Sister Catherine, who told her she would be a Sister one day. Later on, the vocation director Sister Sylvia came to her school to talk about vocations. In her senior year of high school, she went to St. Louis and met Sister Paula who took her to see the Motherhouse. "From that moment on, I knew that this was the place I wanted to be," she says. A teacher for over 40 years, Sister Jacqueline has been about the work of evangelization and says, "I love to teach God’s little ones (especially first graders). It is such a joy to see them in their eagerness to learn." Her favorite Francis story is the Christmas story about St. Francis and the Baby Jesus. An avid sports enthusiast, Sister enjoys playing sports as well as watching them. Her favorite sport to watch is football.