Environmental Care and Justice at St. Paul’s

Environmental Justice at St. Paul’s

The History of Environmental Care and Justice at St. Paul’s

St. Paul’s built its first facilities in the early 1850s. The first heating system here was a steam boiler. It was originally coal-fired, then later converted to oil, and eventually, to natural gas.

In 1976, the church experienced a major fire, which devastated much of the property. It provided an opportunity for us to think about our priorities and our commitment to environmental justice.

During the rebuilding process, St. Paul’s installed ‘solar collectors,’ an early version of solar panels, pictured below in 1980. They were designed to collect and heat air through a series of ducts, stored in a thermal mass in the basement, to be circulated later as a heat source. This system was supplemented by a steam boiler.

Since that time, there have been significant advances in solar and heating technology, and that system is no longer in use.

Climate Care and Justice at St. Paul’s Today

The St. Paul’s community is focused on living our faith by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. We are in the process of installing heat pumps for heating and cooling throughout our facilities. We’ve also begun looking for other ways to think theologically about our relationship to the wider world, including using sustainable materials and composting.

If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved with our climate justice efforts, reach out to our office. 

Below are some resources on ways the wider Episcopal church is working on environmental and climate justice.