To the editor:
Your recent article on St. Dennis Parish’s solar panel installation is welcome news. Congratulations to Fr. Randy Timmerman for embracing and acting on the message of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’. St. Dennis is leading by example and paving the way for their parishioners and more parishes in the diocese to do likewise.
I am also grateful for the article informing parishes that there is grant funding available from RENEW Wisconsin to assist in the costs of installing solar. Parishes who are struggling to find the time to explore energy options can simplify the process by checking out Catholic Energies at https://catholicenergies.org
Recently Bishops Oscar Cantu and Frank Dewane, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) committee chairs, issued a letter to the members of the U.S. House urging them to support the Senate’s $10 million allocation to fund the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Leaders of 161 Catholic institutions followed suit with their own letter to President Trump and Congress.
And the Pontifical Academy of Sciences published a declaration at their early November meeting urging swift action on climate change: “With unchecked climate change and air pollution, the very fabric of life on Earth, including that of humans, is at grave risk . . . The time to act is now.”
We can all do our part to live Laudato Si’. I’ve added my support for funding the UNFCCC at http://www.catholicclimatecovenant.org/Advocacy
Trudi Jenny, Madison