Diocese transitions to solar energy for St. John Neumann Pastoral Center

By Kaylynn Ebner Correspondent

In late June, the Diocese of Metuchen put the finishing touches on a solar power project at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center in Piscataway. The brand-new 500,000-kilowatt solar energy system will power the Center while offering both environmental and financial benefits.

Bishop James F. Checchio shared that transitioning to solar power has been an “important initiative in the Diocese since the 2015 encyclical ‘Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home’ was released.” Pope Francis’ second encyclical “encouraged us to look for ways in which we could have a positive effect on the environment, in our parishes, our schools and our diocesan center,” the Bishop said.

Laudato Si’ was a call to action for Catholics to take care of the earth in a much more thoughtful manner. The Holy Father called on the faithful to live more sustainably and to take steps to address climate change. For instance, he encouraged Catholics to focus on transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar power in an effort to be better stewards of the planet.

“The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change,” wrote Pope Francis.

In response to this challenge, the Diocese started planning in 2019 for solar projects such as the recently completed array at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center. The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the timeline at first, but construction offi cially began in February, 2023. The Diocese partnered with Novitium Energy. with construction by New Road Eneergy. Overall, the project went smoothly.

“We were fortunate to have a mild winter this year, so the project wrapped up earlier than expected in June,” stated Steve Michalek, director of properties and facilities for the Diocese.

This was no small feat. The St. John Neumann Pastoral Center is a 100,000-square-foot building that houses the administrative offices of the Diocese of Metuchen, conference rooms, and the liturgical and religious offices in the Diocese, as well as the administrative offices of St. Peter’s University Hospital. Some 999 solar panels were installed to power the facility.

The installation was well worth the wait. In addition to being more environmentally friendly, the new solar array at the Pastoral Center is expected to offer economic advantages to the Diocese. According to Michalek, the Diocese obtained the solar panels at no out-of-pocket cost through its power purchase agreement. When the system flips on, the cost to purchase the solar energy will be less than what the Diocese would have paid a conventional utility company. Michalek anticipates that the system will save the Diocese more than $1.8 million over the 25-year lifespan of the system. “That’s a significant cost saving,” states Michalek.

Moreover, Michalek noted other building maintenance projects can sometimes be packaged with the solar installation such as a new roof or air conditioning system, providing further savings to the Diocese. He indicated that the power purchase agreement also ensures the Pastoral Center will not go dark if the skies are cloudy, for instance. “The center will always be connected to the grid,” he explained. If it is not sunny outside, the system temporarily switches to traditional energy to power the site. This power will be available at a reduced rate.

Given all the advantages, Michalek says the project at St. John Neumann Pastoral Center is just the tip of the iceberg: “We had planned to do solar not only at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, but we also wanted to do feasibility studies to see what we could do throughout the four counties that comprise the Diocese.”

Other solar projects have been completed at Immaculata High School in Somerville and St. Matthias Church in Somerset, and a solar installation is currently underway at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Old Bridge. Another dozen parishes and schools have also expressed interest in converting to solar power. Some feasibility studies are already underway.

Michalek hopes all the sites that qualify for a solar buildout will be transitioned to this renewable energy source over the next five to seven years.

Looking toward the future, Bishop Checchio acknowledged that, in addition to the financial gains of solar energy, he hopes “it has a good effect on others, especially our faithful, to increase awareness of our call to be good stewards of all God has given us, and to protect those gifts for future generations to enjoy.”

Reflecting on New Jersey, in particular, as a place with “rich and varied landscapes of farms, rivers, mountains and beaches,” Bishop Checchio said, “It all cries out to us of a Creator who loves us and gave us creation to enjoy – and to care for.”

Bishop Checchio also extended special thanks to “all those who were involved in the work and oversight of this important initiative.”

By Annie Nason Correspondent

In the final days before being ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Metuchen, then Deacon Jose Lim had a desire to go back and give thanks in a place near and dear to his heart – The Catholic Center at Rutgers University.

On June 21, just three days before being ordained to the priesthood, Deacon Lim (who graduated from Rutgers in 2014) gathered with close friends, fellow Rutgers alumni, and Catholic Center chaplains for a special Holy Hour, time of fellowship and honoring of Deacon Lim and his vocation to the priesthood.

“Thankfulness” was the word Deacon Lim used to open his exhortation in the Catholic Center chapel. When asked to reflect on his time as a Rutgers student, he fondly recalled the profound impact the Catholic Student Association had on him during these formative years. The impact of the community as well as the genuine relationships built there allowed Deacon Lim to encounter his faith in a new way.

“The Catholic Center was very much my spiritual home during my years attending Rutgers University,” he said, noting, “I met some of my best friends there and I encountered the presence of the Lord within those walls. Whether it was through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, spiritual direction, or simply a good cup of coffee and conversation, that building holds memories for me that are intimately linked to my returning to the Church and my eventual decision to discern a celibate vocation.”

Sister of Jesus Our Hope Anna Palka (who currently serves as a chaplain in the Catholic Center) hosted the evening and participated in CSA with now Father Lim during their time together at Rutgers.

“Since our time at the Catholic Center, he has been a man of deep prayer and sincere charity. He naturally led those around him to love the Lord. As I offer my own life to be consecrated to the Lord in my religious vocation, I am so grateful for Father Jose’s support and the witness of his vocational journey.”

This love for the Lord and a gifted- ness in creating community with those around him was a sentiment echoed by just about every one of the seven individuals who honored Father Lim during the evening. Included, too, were reflections on Father Lim’s genuine heart, humility, and a true willingness to empty himself as Christ did.

After graduating with a nursing degree, Father Lim spent three years discerning with the Brotherhood of Hope when he realized that God was calling him elsewhere. He then returned home and worked as a cardiac nurse in Overlook Medical Center, Summit.

“It’s a poetic analogy” remarked Katie Cerni, who met Father Lim while he was a missionary in Florida State University. “But it’s powerful how, as a former cardiac nurse, Jose quite literally knows the heart of a person while also intimately knowing the heart of the Father,” she said.

Now ordained in the same Diocese that he first found a community within as a college student over a decade ago, there is something special about the full-circle aspect of his vocational journey; A true