Summit Church Aims to Plant 500 Trees to Champion Pope Francis’ Eco-Initiative 40 Evergreen Trees to be Planted Around Arbor Day

Summit, N.J. – With Arbor Day fast approaching on April 26, St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Summit will soon plant 40 evergreen trees within its cemetery as part of an ongoing initiative to install a total of 500 trees on its properties.

The parish created its tree-planting program in 2021 to support “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical that calls on Catholics to better protect the environment. Since its launch, the initiative has led to approximately 200 trees getting planted on the parish’s church, school, and cemetery grounds. Its goal is to reach 500 trees within the next five years, which St. Teresa of Avila’s pastor believes is a feasible and worthwhile endeavor.

“The environment is not a political issue — it’s a human issue,” said Monsignor Robert Meyer. “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.”

St. Teresa of Avila’s tree program is funded entirely by donations from parishioners and Summit community members, who are sporadically reminded of the initiative. So far, $15,000 has been raised to purchase the trees, which a landscape company plants in batches whenever the weather is optimal for growth. Most of the planted trees are evergreens, though some are flowering species placed near the rectory. The program decides which types of trees to use based on what looks best for a particular location.

To learn more about and donate to St. Teresa of Avila Parish’s tree initiative, visit www.st-teresa.org/tree-program.