Awards & Recognition
Sister Water
Global Climate Change

Awards and Recognition

In 2010, the Sisters of Saint Francis at Assisi Heights earned two awards to recognize their conservation of energy and resources.

On May 11, 2010, the Sisters of Saint Francis received a Rochester Heritage Preservation Award for Adaptive Reuse Project. In 2004, the Sisters of Saint Francis decided to adapt a portion of their motherhouse to accommodate the needs of retired members of their Congregation. To this end, the Sisters began planning and proceeded to work with Mayo Facilities staff to convert three floors of the facility's Francis wing from a conventional dormitory to a state-of-the -art senior living facility. A key factor in this project, and the resulting award, was the ability to reuse a large portion of the construction materials in the renovation.

Assisi Heights was also awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. This signifies that the building's energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of facilities nationwide. 'The Sisters of Saint Francis are pleased to accept EPA's ENERGY STAR in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,' said S. Tierney Trueman, Community Minister. 'Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.'

'Improving the energy efficiency of our nation's buildings is critical to preserving our environment and our natural resources,' said Jean Lupinacci, chief of EPA's ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial branch. 'From office buildings to hotels, supermarkets to schools, the ENERGY STAR distinguishes those organizations who are taking environmental responsibility into their own hands.'

'The Sisters of Saint Francis are pleased to accept EPA's ENERGY STAR in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,' said Sister Tierney Trueman, Community Minister. 'Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.' The Sisters of Saint Francis improved energy performance by monitoring all types of energy usage and by making energy-efficient improvements to its buildings.

'Collaboration with Deedra Diliso, Dave Rassel and Richard Hines from the Mayo Clinic was instrumental in helping us to earn the ENERGY STAR,' states Sister Marlene Pinzka, Treasurer. 'They provided immeasurable support by conducting an energy audit, continually monitoring our energy use, offering research support and application assistance.'

The Corporate Stance of the Sisters of Saint Francis, shown below under Global Climate Change, references the community-wide commitment to reduce their carbon footprint. To achieve this status, the following actions have been taken: modified boilers to use natural gas or #2 fuel oil, installed water chillers for air conditioning, outfitted the kitchen hood with optic sensor controls to decrease energy usage, replaced incandescent lighting with fluorescent lights, and managed electrical demand by installing a meter to track energy usage. According to Sister Marlene, Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) suggested the sensor controls for the kitchen hood, which has led to significant energy savings.

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Sister Water

In 2006, the national Franciscan Federation requested that its members relate to water as “Sister” and encouraged us to take actions individually, collectively and in solidarity with people throughout the earth to address concerns of water scarcity and water quality and “to preserve, respect and use wisely the gift of water.” Our Franciscan Identity and Mission Committee responded to this urgent call in June, 2007, and chose 'water' as one of three major themes for study and action.

Individually, we, the Rochester Franciscan Sisters and Cojourners, responded by taking specific actions in conserving water. Collectively, we received education at a Water Seminar in June, 2007, fielding questions such as: “Is water a human right or is it for profit for anyone to sell?” “If water is a human right, why are there over a billion people in the world who have no access to clean water?” We learned that corporations such as Nestle, Coca-Cola and Pepsi buy up water rights for bottling and sell at a profit ranging from 10 – 3,000%. About 40% of the time they are bottling tap water! As an outcome of the seminar many pledged to boycott bottled water, and now the two vending machines at Assisi Heights no longer stock bottled water. In addition, the other beverages are sold in aluminum cans rather than plastic.

Other actions taken at Assisi Heights include the installation of a rain barrel which caught over 1600 gallons of rainwater from the roof of a shed for garden and tree watering during the growing season of 2009. Kitchen staff were also asked to collect the unconsumed water from carafes to pour on the lawn and plants. A group of Sisters made a visit to the MN state representative’s office to educate them and encourage legislative action on Mountain Top Removal in Appalachia, which is a large contributor of polluting and destroying streams. In Cambodia, new wells were dug and installed in rural communities with funds raised by and contributed by the Rochester Franciscans.

"We claim the water of life, whose rush announces the birth of a baby, a water of life that nourishes seeds, plants and roots deep in the earth. We celebrate water without which all that lives would shrivel and wither away, water of our own life." (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops) - Submitted by S. Joy Barth

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Global Climate Change: Rochester Franciscans Take a Stand

At a time when Congress considered historical legislation on climate change, renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, the Rochester Franciscan Sisters and Cojourners made public their Corporate Stance on Global Warming. A formal proclamation took place on Monday, June 1, 2009, in the inner courtyard of Assisi Heights.

The following proclamation was affirmed by Sisters and Cojourners after a process of education and acceptance:

As the United Nations’ Earth Charter states, we stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future as one Sacred Earth Community as brothers and sisters.

• We commit ourselves to caring for the sacred web of life imperiled by global warming.
• We commit to reflecting upon the sanctity of created order with wonder and awe while praying for wisdom to infuse our actions and those of decision-makers and leaders.
• We commit to educating ourselves, family, friends, neighbors and colleagues about global warming and ways to address this challenge.
• We commit to reducing our collective carbon footprint through individual effort in our homes, at places of work, at the institutions where we have influence and in our communities of worship.
• We commit to advocating policy changes that will reduce near term CO2 emissions to meet scientific standards of at least 80% before 2050 and promoting renewable forms of energy.

"The corporate stance is made out of a Franciscan commitment to creation care and to care for all brothers and sisters," said Sister Tierney Trueman, President. "Humans are a large part of global warming, and we in the United States represent 6% of the world’s population and create 25% of the CO2 emissions. Many vulnerable populations, especially in coastal areas and desert regions, are already being adversely affected and we have a moral responsibility to act."

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