Caldwell Dominican Sisters dedicated
a newly installed solar electric system on our
Motherhouse grounds in conjunction with planet-wide
celebrations of Earth Day 2006. This site also hosts the
campuses of Caldwell College and Mount Saint Dominic
Academy, as well as Saint Catherine of Siena Convent &
Health Care Facility and various smaller convents.
The
ritual began with a spirited and joyful prayer service
in Mount Saint Dominic Academy’s gym/auditorium with a
procession that included solar-colored ribbon streamers
carried on decorated poles, the Earth Flag, and a sun
banner. The ritual that included scripture readings,
preaching, a meditative slide show and live music was a
collaborative project of the Dominican Sisters and
Associates, students from Dominican schools, academies
and Caldwell College, clergy from various faith
denominations, civil officials from the Borough of
Caldwell and representatives from state offices and
agencies who sponsor and encourage the development and
use of alternative energy sources.
At
the conclusion of the ritual, Prioress Sister Arlene
Antczak, OP led a small group of Congregational Leaders
and invited dignitaries to the roof of the
Administration Building for the formal blessing of the
solar panels. The participants and the general audience
then moved outside to continue the celebration on the
grassy oval. The ringing of the Motherhouse bells
announced our good news to nearby towns.
In her reflection on the deep
significance of this blessing rite, Sr. Alice Uhl, OP, a
member of the Caldwell Dominican Leadership Team,
shared this insight:
“Jesus said:
‘I have come that they
may have life
and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
In
tune with this Gospel message, the solar energy
installation is a concrete expression of the Caldwell
Dominican Sisters’ commitment to the life and well-being
of future generations.”
The
solar energy panels were installed through Lighting the
Way, a joint project of GreenFaith and Sun Farm Network.
GreenFaith was founded in 1992 by Jewish and Christian
leaders in New Jersey to mobilize people of diverse
religions to discover a relationship with the sacred in
nature and to take action for the present and future
life of our planet Earth. Through Lighting the Way, GreenFaith and Sun Farm Network, a leading New Jersey
solar energy company, are placing solar installations at
twenty-five religious sites around the state. “It has
taken over two years of coordination to honor Mother
Earth by utilizing the power of the sun. Our hope is
that our Lighting the Way project will be a beacon for
others,” commented Catherine Warshaw, Dominican
Associate.
“Every major religious tradition contains texts and
traditions that recognize the presence of the sacred in
nature, that command humanity to protect the earth, and
that recognize that all people deserve a clean, safe
environment,” said
Reverend Fletcher Harper, Executive
Director of GreenFaith. “The Dominican Sisters’ solar
installation is a stunning spiritual, ethical statement
about caring for the earth.” Over the next twenty years,
the system will generate approximately 1.28 million
kilowatt hours of electricity and prevent 1.4 million
pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the
atmosphere, helping to fight global warming.
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