Church of the Presentation

CHURCH OF THE PRESENTATION

A welcoming Catholic community leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through Word, Worship, and Outreach.

271 W. Saddle River Rd. • Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 • ph: 201-327-1313

St. Francis Ministry

Contact: Melanie Cheplic ext. 827 / mcheplic@churchofpresentation.org

The St. Francis Ministry helps parishioners join the local and global community in answering God’s call to Care for Creation through prayer, education, and calls to action.

Click here to join our mailing list to give and receive inspiration on Caring for Creation.

Please click on the buttons below for many resources on caring for Creation and Laudato Si.

Caring for Creation at Presentation

Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Sí, On Care For Our Common Home,” (full Encyclical) (Encyclical summary) is the guide for all of our activity. “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.”

Fr. Ed Ciuba (previously “in residence” at our parish) has taught and written extensively on Care for Creation and has published a small-group faith-sharing resource on Laudato Si in collaboration with RENEW International, GreenFaith, and the Catholic Climate Covenant, entitled “Creation at the Crossroads.” You may purchase a copy of the book here.

Presentation was certified as a GreenFaith Sanctuary parish in 2013.

GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition that offers resources and assistance to religious communities seeking to become better environmental stewards. The organization offers a two-year certification program to achieve GreenFaith sanctuary status, distinguishing a religious group as a leader in environmental sustainability in the areas of spirit, stewardship, and environmental justice.

We reduce our carbon footprint with the use of solar panels, motion sensor lights and eco-friendly bathrooms, reduction of single-use plastics, and a smart HVAC system.

We partner with our Parish Garden Ministry, which grows fresh produce for distribution to local families, food banks and the soup kitchens which we support.