Parish has a parking lot to do with the environment

Salt shaker
August 2002

Parish has a parking lot to do with the environment
St. Philip Neri Parish in Portland, Oregon, is serious about stewardship. Not just in its monthly check to the archdiocese but in the Bible's (and local bishops') call to be good stewards of the Earth.

St. Philip Neri Parish plans to turn this lawn into a bioswale, like a miniature wetland, to prevent polluted water from the parking lot reaching the Willamette River.

The Paulist parish recently received a $5,000 grant from the city of Portland to construct a miniature wetland, or bioswale, on church grounds that will collect water runoff from the church's parking lot, preventing pollutants from reaching the Willamette River. The 33,000 square foot parking lot actually produces some 800,000 gallons of runoff each year.

The rich vegetation that will grow in the swampy area will neutralize much of the pollution in the water, mostly automobile pollutants like motor oil, antifreeze, rubber, and soot. Some of the chemicals, while dangerous to people, can help fertilize plants.

In 2001, the bishops of the Pacific Northwest issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics to get involved in the effort to conserve the Columbia and Willamette River systems, or watershed region, which includes 1,200 miles of the Columbia River, thousands more miles of its tributaries, and 259,000 square miles of surrounding land. Conservation of the watershed has been a source of much controversy over the years, igniting debates between environmentalists, landowners, native peoples, and representatives from regional industries like logging. The pastoral letter set out to enable a conversation among all parties, and was drafted after a lengthy process of gathering input from the many different perspectives.

The final section of the letter titled "The Rivers As Our Responsibility" calls for all the people in the region to act on their duty to care for the environment. "We hope that we might work together to develop and implement an integrated spiritual, social, ecological vision for our watershed home, a vision that promotes justice for people and stewardship of creation." The parishioners of St. Philip Neri dedicated themselves to living out this call from the bishops.

According to pastor Steve Bosse, in addition to the bioswale project the parish hosts fieldtrips and workshops to educate parishioners on environmental issues and is considering the installation of solar collectors on its roof. Parish leaders also work with city and county officials to promote sound public policy on environmental issues.

Though supported by a grant and countless hours of volunteer labor, the organizers of the bioswale project still need to raise more money to finish the project. The goal for completion is November of this year.—Tara Dix

For more information:
St. Philip Neri Parish
Pastoral letter project
Download the letter
USCCB Environmental Justice Program
National Religious Partnership for the Environment

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