The solar panels and other improvements in energy efficiency at the college will eventually be the equivalent of planting 750,000 trees in terms of the greenhouse gases not released into the atmosphere.

Since 1998 the Loretto Sisters have been committed to the Millennium Development Goals, particularly to the seventh goal which commits the rich nations of the world to environmental sustainability.

When renovating the old University of Toronto women’s residence became inevitable, the sisters knew they had to do it in a way that reflected their commitment to justice for God’s creation, Hunter said.

A team of engineers determined that $5.2 million invested in solar panels and related technologies to reduce the 1958 building’s ecological footprint would in fact pay for itself in 10 years. That payback period doesn’t take into account rebates and government incentives which helped pay for the new technology.

Turning a 50-year-old building into a green building was easier than you might think, said Hunter. When parishes with older church buildings say they can’t do much about their old building, they should check it out before they speak, she said.

“Have somebody who knows have a look at it,” she said.

For the young women who live in Loretto College, the solar panels on the roof aren’t just an oddity of the landlord, said Lauren Francone, one of the administrators who runs the college.

“They are constantly being reminded of conservation,” Francone said. “It matters to them in their personal lives, so it matters to them when they’re here living in community.”

From now on, when northbound drivers on Bay Street look up they’re going to see a blue strip against the skyline. That blue strip represents the Sisters’ witness to the Gospel, according to Hunter.

“We’re preaching to everybody, and we’re modelling what we preach — reverent care for the Earth and God’s creation.”