September 25, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 5 Area Church achieves ground-breaking GreenFaith honors On Oct. 20, the Church of the Presen- tation in Upper Saddle River will become the first Catholic religious institution in the United States to be certified as a GreenFaith Sanctuary. Presentation is also the largest religious institution of any denomination to receive this distinction. GreenFaith (www.greenfaith.org) is an interfaith coalition for the environment that was founded in 1992. GreenFaith’s mission is to inspire, educate, and mobilize people of diverse religious backgrounds for envi- ronmental leadership. The group’s work is based on beliefs shared by the world’s great religions: protecting the earth is a religious value, and environmental stewardship is a moral responsibility. The GreenFaith designation acknowl- edges religious-environmental leaders who have carried out a range of initiatives to integrate environmental themes into their worship, religious education for adults and children, facility maintenance, and social outreach over a two-year period. “The Church of the Presentation entered into the rigorous GreenFaith certifica- tion process because it aligns with our beliefs that a Creator God has called us to be responsible stewards for our planet’s ongoing health and life,” said Father Bob Stagg, Church of the Presentation’s pastor. “Becoming a GreenFaith Sanctuary marks the beginning of our ongoing efforts to bring about awareness, acceptance, and action for this responsibility.” GreenFaith Executive Director Rev. Fletcher Harper said, “Presentation is the largest parish, to date, to receive the Green- Faith Sanctuary designation. We have been impressed with the considerable effort that the community put into achieving this sig- nificant designation.” A GreenFaith Team was established to organize and track progress toward the requirements for the certification designa- tion. These requirements were focused on three categories: spirit, stewardship, and environmental justice. Subcommittees were created for each of these areas. The Spirit Subcommittee undertook fos- tering eco-themed worship services each year, along with other spiritually related activities. Three classes were designed for various age groups: adults, teenagers, and children in the various religious education programs. Outdoor religious environmental activities were held by a number of groups in the community of nearly 4,000 families. The Stewardship Subcommittee over- saw the integration of environmental con- servation and the use of environmentally sensitive products. This included a focus on energy, food, water, waste, toxics, and transportation along with ground mainte- nance initiatives in all of these areas. The parish has undertaken a number of initia- tives such as installing solar panels on the roof of the church, putting in eco-friendly and energy-efficient bathroom facilities, and lessening the use of Styrofoam and plastic water bottles. Presentation also installed five beehives on church property. The Environmental Justice Ministry brought educational programs to the parish and advocated for environmental justice on the regional and international levels. “While we have been blessed by the rich resources and bounty of our nation, we have come to confess that it is often our consumer-driven ways that result in the impoverishment of those whose natural resources are being overused or destroyed,” Father Bob emphasized. “The Green Team approach attempts to educate Presentation parishioners about the religious principles and ethical and moral implications that will help us to continue to become more conscious of the sacredness of the Earth as God’s creation. It strives to make our parish more aware of its responsibilities to protect our environment for future generations.” The GreenFaith Sanctuary certificate will be presented to the Church of the Presentation parish by a representative of GreenFaith at the 11:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Oct. 20. Located at 271 West Saddle River Road, the Church of the Presentation (www. churchofpresentation.org) was founded on July 9, 1961. This Catholic parish has grown from the original 270 families to almost 4,000 families today. Nurturing spiritual growth, being better stewards of the earth and continuing its mission of out- Pastor Bob Stagg offers a blessing over the solar panels on the church roof. The panels are part of Presentation’s wider energy conservation program. reach to those in need are the hallmarks of the church known for its energy, joy, and commitment to serve others and to wel- come all.