TheEnvironmental

VocationInternship

Central ValleyReportSanta Clara University2004-2005

New partnerships for environmental leadership

Introduction, and gratitudeThe Environmental Vocation Internship

brings the best of Jesuit education at SantaClara University to bear on California’sregional environmental challenges. Itintegrates classroom learning, communitybased environmental education, andpersonal vocational development. Internsfrom this first year have spoken tohundreds of youth, adults and seniors inlocal faith communities aboutEnvironmental Justice in the Central Valleyand marine biodiversity stewardship on theCentral Coast. With this report, we describethe accomplishments of the first year’sefforts, and prospects for future efforts.

We thank all who have made this firstyear possible. Senior Associate Dean AmyShachter provided the leadership, initialdirection and inspiration for this internship,and it would not exist without her. She wascritical to raising the internal funds at SCUto make this first year possible. The College

of Arts & Sciences provided the majority offunding this year through a Dean’s officegrant. The Bannan Center for JesuitEducation was particularly generous infunding this internship through a BannanGrant. SCU’s Food and AgribusinessInstitute, under Dr. Greg Baker’s leadership,also provided essential support.

This internship evolved in partnershipwith the Environmental Justice Project ofthe Diocese of Stockton. I am most gratefulto the leadership of Cecilia Titizano, SocialMinistry Director; Rich Fowler, CatholicCharities Executive Director; andultimately, Bishop Stephen Blaire. Theseleaders all of manifest Gospel compassionfor those suffering, but also a desire topromote a biblical vision of justice. BetsyReifsnider, the field supervisor for theCentral Valley region, worked extremelyhard to coordinate SCU’s efforts with this.

Numerous pastors, parishes, anddiocesan and parish leaders opened theirdoors to our interns, and helped make thisinternship a success. Members of thediocese’s EJ Committee helped introducestudent interns to the environmental justiceissues of the Central Valley, especiallySusan and Bill Loyko and Loretta Baker. Iam specifically grateful to: Sr. Antoinetta ofthe ministry to farmworkers; Sr. Gloria deJesus Sanchez of the diocesan office ofreligious education; Karin Hennings, SallyMears and Sandy Uyeshiro of St. Joseph’sparish in Modesto; Vicki Lamana of OurLady of Fatima in Modesto; Linda Henkelof St. Luke’s parish; Deacon Mike Woffordat the Cathedral of the Annunciation.

The photos that make this report morevisually pleasing are courtesy of CathyHarknes, Emily Eng, and yours truly. Agenuine thanks to all!

---Keith Warner OFM and the interns

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Uniting social justice and environmental protection

What is Environmental Justice?The first steps toward environmental

justice were taken by Rev. Dr. MartinLuther King in 1968, the very week he wasassassinated. He had traveled to Memphisto express solidarity with Black garbageworkers, who were striking for equal payand equitable working conditions. Duringsubsequent years, community members andresearchers began noticing a consistentpattern: negative environmental impactsdisproportionately impact low incomepeople and communities of color.

During the 1980s, the environmentaljustice movement emerged as a distinctexpression of environmentalism, focusedmore on where people live, work and playthan on wild nature. It draws more fromcivil rights, labor, and communityorganizing efforts than traditionalenvironmentalism. Its focus is theintersection between environmentalprotection, and social and racial justice. Thismovement devotes itself to the unfairdistribution of environmental risk, andefforts to achieve pollution prevention. It

complements traditional environmentalismby making the poor and marginalized theobject of special concern.

The movement for environmental justicehas been strongest when community basedorganizations have partnered withuniversity researchers. Local groups havemore knowledge of neighborhoodenvironmental issues, but academics havecontributed by bringing their scientific,analytical, and legal expertise to bear onlocal problems. The environmental justicemovement has been most successful when ithas advanced its agenda simultaneouslythrough legal proceedings as well as thecourt of public opinion.

During the early 1990s, Christiantheologians and national church leadershipbegan to recognize the similarities betweenenvironmental justice and a biblical visionof humans-in-nature. Scripture scholarsarticulated a broader vision of justice in theHebrew Scriptures with stewardship andcare for the poor and marginalized. Moraltheologians related contemporary

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environmental ethics to the Catholic socialteaching tradition. Pope John Paul IIrepeatedly emphasized a moral visionintegrating environmental protection andsolidarity with the poorest people on theplanet. He has issued three major addresseson the environment, and incorporatedenvironmental concerns into over 30 otherteachings. He joins the Dalai Lama andEcumenical Patriarch Bartholomew II as themost prominent religious leaders calling forenvironmental protection.

In 1991, the US Catholic Bishops issued“Renewing the Face of the Earth,” a pastoralletter calling on US Catholics to engage inenvironmental protection activities. They

have emphasized environmental justicebecause it is so clearly consistent with theCatholic vision of economic justice. Bishopsin Appalachia, the Pacific Northwest, andthe New England states have issued theirown regional pastoral letters.

Churches and local faith communitieshave typically been part of the coalitionspeaking out for environmental justice, butthey have been noticeably absent from theseefforts in California. Fortunately that isbeginning to change. The Catholic Dioceseof Stockton has launched a multiyear projectto educate itself, its members andministries, about the environmental justicechallenges facing this region.

In 2004, under the leadership of BishopStephen Blaire, the Diocese launched anEnvironmental Justice Project to foster carefor God’s Creation among Catholics, and tobring a uniquely Catholic voice to theenvironmental policy discussions in theCentral Valley and Sierra Foothills. Thisproject’s goal has been to educate andmotivate Catholics to a deeper reverenceand respect for God’s creation, and toengage local parishes in activities aimed atdealing with environmental problems,particularly as they affect the poor. Duringthe first year, the project convened threetown hall meetings to consult with Catholicsacross the diocese, which SCU studentswere able to observe. Based on thesemeetings, the entire diocese will celebrateEnvironmental Justice Sunday on October30, 2005, as a part of Respect Life Month.

The Diocesan Environmental JusticeProject is directed by the Social MinistryOffice of Catholic Charities in the StocktonDiocese. The Social Ministry Office engagesparishioners in a variety of service andadvocacy activities, including Migrant Farm

The Diocese of Stockton

Environmental Justice Leadership

Worker, Peace Building, Advocacy, PrisonMinistry, Community Organizing, andEnvironmental Justice.

This diocese has integrated its socialservice and social justice work by locatingthe Office of Social Ministries withinCatholic Charities, which allows the dioceseto better coordinate its justice advocacy anddirect social service activities

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Preparing leaders of conscience, competence and compassion

The Environmental VocationInternship

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This program offers undergraduatestudents at Santa Clara University theopportunity to develop environmentalleadership skills through community basededucation and participatory research,combined with spiritual development andpersonal mentoring. Students take twocourses, “Faith, Ethics, and the BiodiversityCrisis” and “Environmental JusticePracticum,” and then enroll in theinternship to extend what they learn in theclassroom out to local faith communities.This offers students a theologically-grounded vision of stewardship thatembraces social justice as well as advocacyfor the intrinsic value of Creation, and acomprehensive introduction to religious andethical resources to address environmentalproblems.

The internship spans winter and springquarters, and includes immersion trips,vocational reflection retreats, mentoring inleadership for civic engagement, andreflection on our vocational gifts. Theinternship requires regular travel (once ortwice a month), since most communityevents take place on weekends.

Interns select a region for theirinternship, based on their preference forconcentrating on marine biodiversity(Monterey and the Central Coast) orEnvironmental Justice (Stockton and theCentral Valley). This year, 3 coast internsworked primarily with the Monterey BayNational Marine Sanctuary, and 4 valleyinterns with the Diocese of Stockton.

During this our first year, 7 internsconducted 14 educational events, reaching atotal 822 people (416 youth and 406 adults).Of these, 10 were formal presentations, and4 were educational fairs/events. Examples

include: presentations to confirmationclasses, their sponsors, and youth groups;participation in the Diocese of StocktonMinistry Day with the Office of SocialMinistry; organizing sustainable fishdinners; and conducting outreach toparishioners after mass. The interns createda total of 13 educational tools, including 3

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posters and 7 electronic slide shows. Five ofthese can be found at the project website:itrs.scu.edu/kwarner/EJresources.html.We hoped to be able to gather more dataabout the environmental values and viewsof the people in the churches we served, butran out of time. Next year we hope toconduct more social science research, andengage more multi-cultural communities inenvironmental education. We also plan toadd a farmworker/sustainable agricutluretrack to the internship.

The Environmental Vocation Internshipfosters a new kind of environmentalleadership, reflecting Santa Clara

University’s Jesuit educational ideals. Theinternship builds on the continuing SCUcampus-wide conversation about vocation(see page 7), providing interns theopportunity to deepen their awareness oftheir gifts, what gives them joy, and theworld’s needs. It integrates academiclearning, environmental research,community outreach, spiritual mentoring,and ethical development.

Solutions to our environmental crisesnow require collaborative partnerships builton values and ethics. Your support andinterest in this internship helps bringforward just this kind of leadership.

The Diocese of Stockton includes thecounties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus,Calaveras, Tuolumne, Alpine, and Mono.The Catholic population of the diocese is217, 000, about 19% of the total population.Eighty-four priests, of whom thirty-six areforeign born, serve in thirty-two parishesand twelve missions. The diocese isgeographically, ethnically, andeconomically diverse. About 50% of thediocesean population is Hispanic. Themajority of the population lives in the San

Partner profile

The Catholic Diocese of StocktonJoaquin Valley. The two major populationcities are Stockton and Modesto. SanJoaquin County’s population has grown by50% over the past ten years. The majority ofSan Joaquin Valley is farming, and there aremany migrant camps in which the Churchhas a presence. Calaveras, Tuolumne, andAlpine counties are located on the westernside of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.Mono County is on the eastern side of theSierra Nevada, and is usually cut off fromthe rest of the diocese during winter.

DISCOVERing our environmentalvocations

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“What ought I to do?” is the Socraticquestion at the heart of the liberal artseducational tradition. Christian spiritualityframes that question in terms of vocation:“What am I called to become?” The Jesuittradition offers wonderul resources forvocational discernment. It counsels us todiscover our personal calling by aligningour gifts and aspirations with what we seeas the deepest needs of our world.

Santa Clara University is activelydeveloping resources to help students,faculty and staff with vocationaldiscernment. With major funding from theLilly Foundation, SCU launched theDISCOVER project, which stands for“Developing and Inspiring ScholarlyCommunities Oriented toward VocationalEngagement and Reflection.” Our Jesuittradition emphasizes that education has amoral purpose beyond career preparation.The DISCOVER project combines scholarlyreflection with our Ignatian tradition ofdiscernment and social engagement tosupport students as they prepare for theirvocation, not just a job.

The Environmental Vocation Internshipwas inspired – but not funded – by theDISCOVER project. It builds on the campusconversations and support for helpingstudents discern their own vocational giftsand potential contribution to society. Theinternship provides students the skills,sustained contact in a community, andreflection tools to foster their vocationaldiscernment.

The Environmental Vocation Internstackled Environmental Justice issues in theCentral Valley. This region is not wellknown by residents of the state’s populouscoastal areas, but it is exceptionally rich inresources, even as it struggles withenvironmental problems. Over half thenation’s fruit, vegetables and nuts aregrown here, yet farm workers and ruralcommunities suffer from the effects ofpesticides. Two-thirds of the state’s waterpasses through the Sacramento Delta on itsway to irrigate farms and quench the thirstof Southern California. Changes in land useor water management here could impactmany at a distance. The same mountainranges that define the valley also contributeto its environmental problems by containingair pollution. This region often has thedubious honor of air quality that seasonallycan be the worst in the nation. Rapidsuburban sprawl threatens to exacerbate all

The challenge

Promoting environmental justice inCalifornia’s Great Valley

of these problems. The internship providedan opportunity for students to engage faithcommunities in the effort to promoteenvironmental justice here.

Beginning in January 2005, four internsfrom Santa Clara University were asked towork with parishes in Modesto, Oakdale,and Stockton. Melvin Gaines and WaideHicks worked with St. Joseph’s parish andOur Lady of Fatima parish in Modesto andSt. Mary of the Annunciation in Oakdale, aSierra foothill parish. They created a digitalslide presentation on Environmental Justice,and led a series of parish confirmationclasses. Peter Sullivan and Jocelyn Staufferdeveloped educational tools for theDiocese’s Social Ministry Office, andconducted outreach to two parishes inStockton.

Waide and Melvin had the opportunityto speak to 400 youth and 200 adults aboutEnvironmental Justice through this

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internship. Their efforts demonstrated theterrific potential for incorporatingEnvironmental Justice into the ordinaryreligious education activities of a parish. Asone confirmation program directorexplained, “it’s wonderful for the kids tosee young men interested in their faith andGod in the world. They were a big hit withthe kids.” The interns led a confirmationretreat at Our Lady of Fatima parish, usingDr. Seuss’s The Lorax as a teaching tool. AtSt. Joseph’s parish, the interns spoke to over400 people, including a child who had beendirectly affected by a devastating tire firethat the interns were using as anenvironmental justice case study on asthmarisks.

In Stockton, Peter and Jocelyn createddisplays that were used to illustrateenvironmental justice and Catholic SocialTeaching at the Diocesan Ministry Day, andat tables after Mass at two parishes: St.Luke, and the Cathedral of theAnnunciation. They also creatededucational tools for use by the DiocesanOffice of Social Ministry. Members of theEnvironmental Justice Committee asked for

permission to reproduce these displays anduse them in their own parishes for futureevents and meetings, such as EnvironmentalJustice Sunday October, 30 2005.

Parish leaders saw that college-ageinterns were more successful at conveying afaith-and-environment message than wereolder adults. Parish leaders were alsograteful for the in-depth knowledge thatinterns displayed on Catholic socialteaching and on Environmental Justice. Oneof the interns said, “You don’t often get toapply what you learn outside of class. Thiswas the only outlet available to make ethicsand education come together.”

This internship is not without itschallenges, however. Everyone agreed themost significant impediment was distance:the 75 miles from SCU campus to theparishes created a barrier to easy access forthe interns. This being the first year, muchimprovisation took place, and future effortswill demand greater advance planning.Students take on internship responsibilitiesabove and beyond their regular course load,and this experience exposes them to theneed for effective time management.

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The Central Valley Interns 2004-5

Melvin GainesHometown: East Palo AltoMajors: Political Science and EnvironmentalStudiesClass of 2006

Certain scents bring tears to my eyes. Iam not referring to pleasant smells, such asthose of fresh baked apple pies that arereminiscent of grandmother’s cooking. I’mreferring to sinus penetrating stenches, suchas those of toxic fumes, and the rotten eggstench that accompanies sulfur. It’s not theharshness of these scents that brings tears tomy eyes; truthfully, my nose has becomeinsensitive to them over the years. It’s myknowledge of the results of such stenchesthat brings tears to my eyes. Working forsocial and environmental justice for thepast 5 years, and living in a communityplagued by environmental injustices for thepast 21 years has made me overly aware ofthe harsh circumstances, such as cancer andasthma that accompany exposure to suchscents. People die as a result of exposure totoxic fumes; this saddens me greatly…buttears alone do not bring about change.

My love for people, and desire to endtheir suffering has led me to on a quest forchange. This quest has urged me to furthermy education, be it in the classroom, or inthe field working in the community. TheEnvironmental Vocation Internshipprovided an excellent opportunity toexpand my education through both vehicles.It also afforded me with the opportunity towork in the Central Valley, an area highlyaffected by environmental justice issues thathas historically received little attention.

My goals in participating in thisinternship were ultimately to raiseawareness of environmental justice, andpromote a faith that does justice amongaffected constituents of the Diocese ofStockton. My hope for the future is thatmembers of the diocese will be engaged inworking for positive change in theircommunities.

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Over the course of the internship, WaideHicks and I were able to speak to over 600people, create educational tools, and mostimportantly, engage constituents of thediocese of Stockton in dialogue regardingenvironmental justice, and promote a faiththat does justice. Assessing the impact ofour efforts, I am definitely satisfied. Muchwork remains to be done, but we have laidthe groundwork for future efforts, throughestablishing relationships between SantaClara University and members of differentparishes in the Stockton diocese.

Waide Hicks and I were ableto speak to over 600 people,create educational tools, andmost importantly, engage theDiocese of Stocktonregarding environmentaljustice, and promote a faiththat does justice

More so than anything I have given tothis internship, I have gained valuableexperience. I have been challenged to searchout integrations between my own Christianfaith and justice, as well as to work with afaith that differs slightly from my own. Ialso have gained the experience oforganizing a community, as an outsider tothat community. My past organizing effortshave been either as a member of acommunity, or in solidarity with organizersfrom another community. I am highlygrateful for the opportunity to have workedwith this internship. Grateful to its financialsupporters, grateful to its staff, grateful toDr. Warner, and grateful to the communityof the Diocese of Stockton.

Waide HicksHometown: San JoseMajors: Environmental Science and BiologyClass of 2006

I have been afforded few opportunitiesfor personal growth and professionaldevelopment in the way the EnvironmentalVocation Internship did. Although I’vecertainly challenged myself academically, Ihad yet to utilize my knowledge and skillsin a truly productive way. In addition toacquiring scientific knowledge at SCU, Ihad a strong desire to develop my skills ininterpersonal communication and, as wastested at times in the internship, negotiationand conflict resolution.

I was deepening my ownunderstanding of how I amcalled as a Catholic torecognize, reflect, and actupon these injustices

Despite the many opportunities offeredby various campus programs, I felt no outletexisted for me to combine my love fornature and creation, skills and knowledgeas an undergraduate scientist, and identity

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as an ethically-minded Catholic. Becomingan intern with Dr. Warner was the nextlogical step in the continuing developmentof my own environmental ethic.

One Latino student no morethan 12 years old raised hishand in the middle of 300 ofhis peers and said, “mydoctor told me I got asthmafrom that fire”

Perhaps most importantly theEnvironmental Vocation Internship helpedme make the connection between myCatholic identity and practice ofenvironmental stewardship; two aspects ofmy life that were equally important butlacked integration. When Melvin and I wereout educating youth about pressing issuesof environmental justice in the California’sCentral Valley, the connection couldn’t havebeen more apparent. While explaining someof the basic tenets of Catholic social teaching(e.g., option for the poor, concern for thecommon good) to these students, and theirrelationship to environmental injustices intheir own neighborhoods, I was also

deepening my own understanding of how Iam called as a Catholic to recognize, reflect,and act upon these injustices.

The locality of the topics in ourdiscussion to those in the audience alsohelped the students relate to what we weresaying, and willful audience participationshowed how familiar and interested moststudents were about environmental justice.However, nothing could have prepared mefor what I heard from one student at thatsame night at St. Joseph’s. When referring tothe Westley tire fire of 1999 and the impactit had on the health of nearby residents, oneLatino student no more than 12 years oldraised his hand in the middle of 300 of hispeers and said, “my doctor told me I gotasthma from that fire.”

I choked up, and had to struggle not todrop my microphone. The human impact ofenvironmental injustice had never beenmade more personal to me. Although itworked in facilitating dialogue betweenMelvin, me, and the audience,environmental catastrophes like the Westleytire fire are something I felt no child shouldever be familiar with.

In Oakdale, Melvin and I gave a talkabout Environmental Justice to a group ofconfirmation sponsors. We encountered anaudience with a few members who did not

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support the Church’s involvement withEnvironmental Justice issues. Some of themsharply questioned us, but many othermembers of the audience spoke in favor ofsocial justice and environmental protection.

The internship helped memake the connection betweenmy Catholic identity andpractice of environmentalstewardship

Although this experience was verystressful, I recognized that disagreementsabout the environment are normal, unlikethe typical situation in classrooms. Dealingwith environmental issues and people’spersonal and financial well-being outside ofthe university is more like what Iexperienced in Oakdale that afternoon. Thisidea stayed with me for every subsequenteducational talk I gave, and is sure toinfluence the way I approach environmentalissues for the rest of my life.

Although that specific eventwas stressful, I recognizedthat disagreements about theenvironment are normal

In my conversations with other studentsabout their own internships at Santa ClaraUniversity, it seems apparent that theEnvironmental Vocation Internship is muchmore enriching, and offers a greater sense ofvocation to its participants. I can’t help butfeel that few other opportunities exist forundergraduate students in the sciences tomake a connection between faith, ethics,and their field of study. I am grateful tohave such an opportunity; I doubt anyexperience I have while at Santa Clara willbe its equal.

Jocelyn StaufferHometown: Allentown, PennsylvaniaMajor: Political ScienceMinor: Catholic StudiesClass of 2005

Prior to the Environmental VocationInternship, I had little knowledge ofenvironmental issues. Working with theStockton Diocese attracted me, despite thelittle background I had with environmentalissues. The summer before my senior yearat Santa Clara I did an internship withCongregations United for NeighborhoodAction (CUNA) in Allentown,Pennsylvania, an organization that doesfaith-based community organizing.Working with CUNA gave me theopportunity to combine my interests inpolitical and social issues with faith.

After that internship, I wanted moreopportunities in which I could combinethese interests. The Environmental VocationInternship gave me such an opportunity.Because faith is such an important part ofmy own life, I am able to look at differentissues in the context of faith. I enjoyworking with faith communities because Iam able to do that. Not only was I able towork on faith and social issues in this

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internship, but I was also able to learn aboutand become aware of environmental issues.This internship helped me to recognize thatthere are many reasons why people sufferfrom injustices; environmental issues areone component of social justice.

This internship allowed meto explore my ownspirituality and awareness ofenvironmental issues

This internship allowed me to exploremy own spirituality and awareness ofenvironmental issues. I now know whatenvironmental justice is and I can be awareof it in my own life and in working withother faith communities. Although I hadvery little knowledge of whatenvironmental justice is, through teachingothers about it, I have become dedicated toit as well. I have always considered myselfto be someone who is concerned aboutenvironmental issues, but now I have agreater respect for those issues and theirimpact on people. Faith and social justicehave the greatest impact on my concern forthe environment. I am concerned aboutissues such as air quality because I believethat as a Christian, I have a responsibility to

care for God’s creation because God createdit. I am also concerned about this because ofits impact upon people. Issues such as airquality are not just bad for the environment,but also have many health implications forpeople.

The Environmental Vocation Internshiphelped me recognize that I want to continueto work with faith communities. I enjoyworking with them because I am able tounderstand them.

The American LungAssociation’s State of the AirReport gave four out of thesix counties in the StocktonDiocese a grade of “F”

I believe the knowledge and awareness Ihave gained from this internship will beuseful in whatever I choose to do. It will behelpful whether I pursue a vocation in somekind of ministry, non-profit work, or thegovernment sector because I will be able tobring an understanding of the connectionbetween environmental problems andissues of faith and social justice.

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An excerpt from

Why Catholics should careabout the Environmentby Jocelyn Stauffer

Environmental justice is one of manyways to live out the Catholic faith. This isparticularly important for Catholics in theCentral Valley, where one of severalenvironmental issues is air quality. In 2003,the American Lung Association’s State ofthe Air Report gave four out of the sixcounties in the Stockton Diocese a grade of“F.” Pope John Paul II and Bishop Blairehave emphasized the need for Catholics torespond to the call of environmental justice.

God created us in God’simage, and therefore we mustlove creation as God does.

The Book of Genesis sets a foundationfor the Catholic belief in environmentaljustice. God tells us that we must bestewards to creation. Earth and all of thespecies are not ours to own, rathersomething of which we are a part amongmany. God created us in God’s image, andtherefore we must love creation as Goddoes. Such a love for creation is also a wayto worship and love God.

Catholic social teachingemphasizes a respect for alllife—this includes all ofcreation.

Environmental justice is not separatefrom traditional ideas of social justice; wedo not have to choose between helpingpeople and helping the environment.

(To find the full version of this essay andothers, go to the SCU EJ resources webstite:itrs.scu.edu/kwarner/EJresources.html.)

Peter SullivanHometown: BostonGraduate studies: conservation biology

After working as a business researcherfor seven years, I decided to go back toschool to study science. My businessexperience helped me to realize that I loveddoing applied research, but I needed aresearch focus on something I cared about.When my wife and others helped me torealize that I was spending all of my sparetime hiking and reading books about theenvironment, the prospect of researchingenvironmental issues as a scientist seemedlike a natural choice.

My initial motivation for this internshipcame out of an independent study course Itook with Dr. Michelle Marvier. Our focusfor the study was biological conservation inEl Salvador. The El Salvador we studiedwas a complicated place, still raw from abitter civil war that had ended just ten yearsago. The more I learned about the threats tobiodiversity in El Salvador, the more I sawhow difficult it was to change the wayspeople treated their environment. Inaddition, as we learned more about theSalvadoran culture, the more the Catholic

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Church’s influence seemed to matter. It wasan unexpected turn of inquiry for me. In myown mind, I had typically separated mytradition as a Catholic with my vocation as abiologist. But scientists are always turnedon by new ideas and I was interested toexplore the connection betweenconservation efforts and Catholic socialteaching.

I took the EJ class and was exposed tosome seminal readings in EJ, but moreimportantly, as a class we took a field trip tothe Central Valley to meet with people inthe community who were heavily involvedwith EJ issues. The field trip was amazing.It energized me to commit to the internship.

As interns, we also completed some on-site outreach activities in parishes. Part ofour goal was to “get the word out” about EJ.First, at Ministry Day, we set up a table anddescribed some of the Diocesan EJ activitiesto anyone who would listen. The responseto Stockton’s Ministry day is impressive.People line up at 8AM on a Saturdaymorning to see what opportunities exist foradditional involvement in the Diocese. Afellow intern and I created informativeposters and op-ed pieces to display some ofthe more salient points about EJ. Theresponse was mixed, but the most frequent

response to what we had to say wassurprise. People really didn’t expect theChurch, especially the local Church, to haveanything to say about the environment.Next, we traveled to St. Luke’s with thesame info and tried to meet and talk withfolks as they entered/exited the parish.There, we met with a similar reactions.People don’t think that the Church hasanything to say about the environment andwhen they hear that it does, especially whencommunicated by Pope John Paul II, theytend to listen.

I truly enjoyed meeting and workingwith many of the Central Valley folks.While there can be challenges when a groupof busy volunteers get together toaccomplish a task, there was never a sensethat nothing could be done. People in theStockton Diocese truly care about theirenvironment and they want to see theChurch make a difference. In fostering thissentiment, Bishop Blaire’s efforts have beennoteworthy. His leadership has providedthe spark to move people to begin thinkingmore about their role in EJ issues. Seeing theChurch struggle and come to grips with itsenvironmental responsibility can bedifficult, but there is also a strong sense ofhope for future efforts.

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Fruit of the earth and work of human hands

Catholic perspectives on sustainableagriculture

Agriculture is the primary metabolicrelationship between human society andnature. Without it, human culture wouldnot be possible. Yet modern agriculture isdegrading the environmental resource baseupon which it -- indeed all of us -- depend.

Theological reflection on sustainableagriculture in the Catholic tradition drawson its rich tradition of social teaching. Itbalances two key values: economic justiceand integrity of Creation. The church clearlystates the need to protect the economicrights of each human person. This requiresaccess to sufficient resources to live a life ofdignity. Farmers are deserving of specialrespect because their work is growing foodand working with Creation, yet we as asociety are failing to adequately compensategrowers and farm workers for the servicethey provide to society. At the same time,the US Bishops have spoken very clearly onsociety’s responsibility to ensureagricultural practices protect workers andthe environment today and into the future.

They emphasized this most recently in theirpastoral letter, “For I Was Hungry and YouGave Me Food” (http://www.usccb.org/bishops/agricultural.shtml).

Catholics believe God’s generosity isexpressed through Creation, that Godcreated sufficient resources on Earth for allhuman beings to meet their needs, and thatwe are called to steward the abundantdiversity of God’s creatures. Air pollution,contaminated waterways, and pesticide driftincidents are evidence of practices that donot reflect Catholic values.

Addressing these problems is not solelythe responsibility of growers, becauseagriculture has a greatly inferior economicposition in our economy. Farmgate pricescontinue to decline, California’s citiescontinue to sprawl out onto farmland, andfarm workers cannot garner a just wage inthis context. Many farmers are caught in abind between economic forces and theirdesire to be better stewards.

(From testimony offered by KeithDouglass Warner OFM to the US CatholicConference of Bishops in Sacramento; seewww.ncrlc.com/AgStewardship.html.)

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The creation of this internship has givenme the opportunity to draw from virtuallyall the talents and skills God has given me. Ispent five year picking fruit and plantingtrees in the Pacific Northwest, and thisanimated me to follow St. Francis, thepatron saint of ecology. I became aFranciscan Friar fifteen years ago because ofmy love of nature and prayer, and a passionfor sharing these with others. Living inmigrant labor camps, Amerindianreservations, and Latin Americanshantytowns deepened by solidarity withthe poor and politically marginalized.

During the late 1990s, I conducted socialjustice education – supervising volunteersand interns — at St. Anthony Foundation inSan Francisco for three years. I becameconvinced that experiential, communitybased education had great transformativepotential. I undertook doctoral levelenvironmental studies at UC Santa Cruzbecause I wanted to extend this vision fromsocial to environmental issues.

When Senior Associate Dean AmyShachter asked me to create an internship, Iwas able to draw on a network of

professional colleagues. I had recentlyintroduced Betsy Reifsnider to Rich Fowlerof the Catholic Diocese of Stockton, and hehired her to become Environmental JusticeProject Coordinator. I asked Rev. DeborahStreeter if she knew of any faithcommunities that would be interested inhosting interns. She described hercommunity based environmental educationon the Central Coast, and the template forthis internship was born. By operating twofield sites, interns are able to witness adiversity of environmental challenges facingCalifornia, and the range of possibleresponses on the part of faith communities.

This internship has been one of the mostfulfilling experiences of my life. It has givenme the chance to share with others my beliefthat faith communities can and should beengaged in environmental concerns.

No lasting social change inAmerican history has takenplace without the activeparticipation of the faithcommunities

I have dedicated my life to fostering thekind of leadership that can help the faithcommunities address our environmentalcrises. With the help of friends, family andmy Franciscan brothers, I have discernedthis as my vocation, and Santa ClaraUniversity offers me unparalleledopportunities to put my gifts at the serviceof others, and to help students learn how todo the same.

I am most grateful to the interns, SantaClara University’s leadership, BetsyReifsnider, Rev. Deborah Streeter, and allour community partners for their activecollaboration and creativity on this project.This experience truly has helped me deepenmy own vocation. I look forward tocontinuing this journey with all of you.

Leadership profile

Keith Douglass Warner OFM

Leadership profile

Betsy ReifsniderMy career in the environmental, non-

profit, and public sectors spans a quartercentury. In Los Angeles, I worked for theSierra Club, Mono Lake Committee, and asa legislative deputy for Los Angeles CityCouncilmember Ruth Galanter. I moved toSacramento to help initiate the U.S. Bureauof Reclamation’s Office of WaterConservation in northern California,Nevada, and southern Oregon. In 1996, Ireturned to the private non-profit worldand became the executive director ofFriends of the River, California’s statewideriver conservation organization. In 2004, Idecided to start my own business,specializing in environmental resources andwater policy. I currently serve on theadvisory board for the Sierra NevadaAlliance.

As a lifelong Catholic and the product ofCatholic kindergarten, elementary and highschool, I continue to learn about my faiththrough a variety of channels.

The Environmental Vocation Internshipat Santa Clara University intrigued me.During my own college career, I wasfortunate to participate in a National Landfor People tour of the Central Valley. Aswonderful and necessary as class time andacademic research were, the experience ofinteracting with poor migrant farm workers,grassroots organizers, and farmers played aprofound role in my life. That tour helpeddirect the course of my future work andgave me a new understanding of the natureof poverty in one of America’s wealthiestenvironments.

I value the time I spent with the fourstudents from Santa Clara Universityassigned to the Central Valley. As theStockton, Modesto, and Oakdaleparishioners described them, the studentswere “awesome,” “bright,” and “verypersonable.” They were not only fun to bearound, they deepened my understandingof Environmental Justice and gave me hopefor the future.

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The Environmental Studies Institute is aninterdisciplinary community of scholars -comprised of faculty, staff, and students –dedicated to understanding the interactionsbetween humans and the natural world. Weserve local and global communities byaddressing environmental issues througheducation, research, and leadership. Ourbachelors level degrees in Environmental

The Environmental Studies Institute, home to…

The Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project@ Santa Clara University

Science and Environmental Studieschallenge undergraduates to integrateknowledge and research in the natural andsocial sciences with ethics, service andleadership to promote a sustainable world.The Institute provides a variety of campusand community programs includingseminars, internships, and opportunities forresearch, service, and study abroad.

The Faith, Ethics & Vocation Projectintegrates the distinct features of SantaClara University’s mission intoEnvironmental Studies educationalactivities, and provides opportunities forstudents to extend education beyond theclassroom. These features are: promoting afaith that does justice; fostering leaders ofconscience, compassion, and competence;and facilitating vocational discernment.Based on the inter-disciplinary practice ofthe ESI, the project pilots innovativepedagogies to better fulfill the universitymission. It consists of four classes on thereligious studies/environmental studiesinterface, the Environmental VocationInternship, and the creation of exportableeducational units about environmental,ethical, and faith issues.