The recent transfer of the Saint Mary-by-the-Sea property in Cape May Point was welcome news to those of us who are concerned about climate change.
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The recent transfer of the Saint Mary-by-the-Sea property in Cape May Point was welcome news to those of us who are concerned about climate change. We applaud the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, who gave up the opportunity for large profits in favor of the common good by selling their highly desirable Cape May Point property to an environmental nonprofit. Clearly, it was the intention of the Sisters to sell with an eye towards protecting the environment. In fact, when they put the property on the market, they hired an attorney who specialized in conservation deals.
Lesser known is the fact that on October 28, the Sisters of St Joseph finalized a deal to sell St. Michael’s Hall, another property that would be extremely attractive to developers, to the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill. The Sisters delayed the final sale for months to allow the museum time to raise the funds to complete the purchase.
As Sister Karen Dietrich, General Councilor of the Sisters of St Joseph, stated in an April 29th interview in the Local, “We join with all those who recognize that we are the stewards of this planet....We have the responsibility to make choices for the common good because we are all interdependent.”
It is particularly significant that both deals came to fruition during the meeting of COP (Conference of the Parties) 26, when the nations of the world are exploring their mutual responsibilities and interdependence. Would that more individuals and corporations would take into account the common good and the environment when making individual decisions. What a great example the Sisters of St. Joseph have provided for the rest of us!
Kit McGovern
Laudato Si Circle Climate Ministry
Our Mother of Consolation Parish
Philadelphia