Holy Cross Abbey: Reinhabiting Place

Abstract

As a monastery living under the Rule of St. Benedict and as part of the 900-year-old Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO), the monks of Holy Cross Abbey (HCA) are pursuing sustainability not only to ensure that their traditions and spiritual way of life persevere, but also to foster a deeper stewardship of the land as “lovers of the brethren and of the place.” As part of this sustainability initiative, HCA solicited the assistance of a team of graduate students from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment (“Michigan Team”) under the guidance of Professor Andrew Hoffman. As part of this project, the Michigan Team used a systems perspective with the intention of encouraging a more holistic, integrative, and telescopic view of the monastery in its local, regional, and global contexts. To this end, the Team evaluated HCA’s community sustainability as it specifically applies to the following topic areas: land use, energy, water, solid waste, toxics, economies, food, and buildings. Subsequently, synergistic recommendations were provided to help HCA become more sustainable. These suggested guidelines may also assist other monasteries and religious institutions as they initiate, evaluate, and/or modify their own sustainability efforts, thereby enhancing environmental stewardship throughout numerous communities and maximizing positive impact on society.