Creation Care Working Groups - Please Join!

At the conclusion of the Feb. 11, 2023 showing of The Letter, the 47 attendees each divided into one of the focus areas for our work. The four groups are organizing activities (some noted below) and posting bulletin announcements. Examples of possible activities of these groups are found here. Anyone one interested in joining a group can let the contact person shown. Contact persons for each area are:

Prayer: John Wilson

Education: Francis Todey

Advocacy: Chuck Glatz

Direct Action: Rick Brimeyer

Upcoming Event: 2023 Season of Creation Prayer Service

The Creation Care Team (CCT) invites you to journey with us through the upcoming Season of Creation, the ecumenical celebration held each year from September 1, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. "Let Justice and Peace Flow" is the chosen theme for 2023. To help prepare yourself, please read the Holy Father’s message for the occasion at this link https://tinyurl.com/2s5zn5v2.

We look forward to growing together during this beautiful season!

Hold the Date: November 10, 2023

Planned evening event in St. Cecilia Social Hall, likely in a Wisdom and Wine format, featuring Lee Anne Willson explaining the Ames Climate Action Plan along with some discussion of what aspects of Laudato Si' the Plan might address and what congregations and individuals are called to do.

Event Report: Field Day at Guthrie Farm a Success!

Twenty-five parishioners gathered July 15, 2023 at Growing Harmony Farm to learn about sustainability from hosts Gary and Nancy Guthrie. Gary and Nancy explained how they have used Jesuit and Ignatian values to guide their decision-making on the farm with wonderful, and sometimes surprising, results. Participants learned about wind and solar power, prairie strips, organic gardening, and soil health. They even took home a bag of sample produce! The event was sponsored by the Creation Care Team (CCT). 

STA Parish Energy Conservation Updates

Converting building lighting to energy efficient LED lights was accelerated by using a portion of the 2023 match to parishioner donations for solar panels. The Social Justice Committee and Parish Council determined that investments in conservation would be more impactful than further solar investments. Recently lights in the Processional Pathway (west wall) were converted last week last week as these lights are on 16 hrs per day/7 days a week! Next came all the ceiling lights (56 fixtures) in the lower lounge, which required services of an electrician for the removal of ballasts from the existing fluorescent lights to enable the LED replacements. See photo below.
The ceiling lighting in the worship space remains and awaits the introduction of suitable LED replacments.

This effort follows the first use of matching funds in 2022 when the Parish provided a $14,000 match to parishioner contributions for purchase of solar panels in the City of Ames SunSmart array. Contributions exceeded the match amount and 185 solar packs were obtained at a cost of $52,725. The City of Ames Energy Services Coordinator recently reported that our panels provide and estimated 18% of the Church's (excluding Parking Ramp) electricity usage. He thanks the Parish greatly for our investment. Read the details of his analysis here.

Independently of the matching fund activity, Buildings and Grounds has completed Installing digital control for heating and cooling to optimize temperature and run time in 2022 and installation of a new heating system in 2023 that will increase boiler efficiency from previous 82% to 97%