A Catholic church in Summit is on a mission to plant 500 trees on its grounds by the end of the decade.
St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Summit is in the process of planting 40 evergreen trees within its cemetery, according to the Archdiocese of Newark.
It is the latest phase in the church’s tree-planting program launched in 2021 to support “Laudato Si,” an encyclical from Pope Francis imploring Catholics to protect the environment.
The church planted 200 trees in the past three years and plans to add another 300 trees by 2029 around its church grounds, school and cemetery. Most are evergreen trees, but some are flowering species placed near the rectory, the archdiocese said.
Approximately $15,000 has been raised from parishioners and other Summit residents in support of the tree-planting program.
“The environment is not a political issue — it’s a human issue,” said Monsignor Robert Meyer, who was installed in 2017 as the church’s 13th pastor.
“As Pope Francis pointed out in ‘Laudato Si,’ God gave us the Earth and said to take care of it. And I think this is one of the ways we can take care of it and hopefully inspire others to do the same. It doesn’t take much to plant a tree, but the impact can really be profound,” Meyer said.
Trees offer a wide range of environmental benefits, from pulling carbon dioxide from the air to reducing storm surges and flooding, according to theArbor Day Foundation. Arbor Day, which was celebrated Friday, is a worldwide observance in support of planting trees.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
