Sisters of St. Francis Launch $5M Solar Initiative to Honor Legacy of Environmental Stewardship

Sylvania, Ohio — April 22, 2025 — The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania have officially launched the largest solar energy project in Sylvania and one of the largest for a non-profit organization in Northwest Ohio. This significant investment represents a major commitment in their enduring mission of caring for creation and advancing ecological sustainability. The installation—designed and managed by Elevated Energy—will significantly reduce the campus’s carbon footprint, cut energy costs, and create a lasting, visible expression of the congregation’s values.

Part of a broader $5 million solar vision, the first major phase is slated for completion by September 2025 and includes a solar canopy in the campus parking lot. Once complete, this year’s solar project will reduce 328.2 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, save $63,000 in yearly energy costs, and help power the Sisters’ mission-driven campus with clean, renewable energy for decades to come.

“This project is a public and permanent expression of the Sisters’ mission,” says Sustainability Coordinator Sara Grunberg. “The Sisters have always stepped forward to do the work in front of them – in education, healthcare, and helping the poor and marginalized. At this moment in history, we are responding to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical that calls each of us to care for the earth and care for the poor. It’s the right thing for us to do right now.”

Driven by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical, the solar energy initiative supports:

• Ecological Economics through efficient energy investments
• Environmental Education via community engagement
• Community Empowerment through social reinvestment of cost savings

This new initiative is part of the Sisters’ larger seven-year commitment to Laudato Si’ and to the Sylvania community that has been their home since 1916. The announcement follows several years of steadfast sustainability actions on campus, including the launch of an advanced composting program, planting over 100 trees, a thriving beekeeping initiative, and over 500 lbs of fresh produce donated from the Grateful Harvest Community Garden. Together, these efforts reflect a faith-based commitment to both ecological action and community care.

Rooted in the call of Laudato Si’ and guided by the words of Foundress Mother Adelaide—“To see beauty in everything, we must respond to it”—the initiative blends faith, action, and ecological responsibility.