CSJ Sisters featured in Newsday LI Life

Oasis inthesuburbs

BYLIZAN.BURBY

n asunnyJunemorning,birdsdartinand outofmeadowsfilledwithwildbergamot, switchgrassandmountainmint.Theirsong isjoinedbythebuzzofbumblebeesasbutterfliesflitamonghoneysucklethatreleasea sweetscent.Nearby,childrenandtheirparentspick plumpstrawberries,whileshoppersselectproduceat thefarmstand.Yardsaway,neighborstakefreeeggs gatheredfromdozensofresidentchickenswhilefour goatsscamperonawoodenplaystructure.

Whatcoulddescribean idyllicsettingontheEastEnd isinsteadtakingplaceona sprawling212-acrecampus tuckedintothehamletof Brentwood,oneofthemost denselypopulatedanddevelopedcommunitiesinSuffolk County.It’sthesiteofthe SistersofSt.Joseph,acommunityofabout100membersthat formuchofits127-yearhistory livedinasecludedmonasticlikeenclosurewheretheministriesthattookplacewere mostlyunknowntotheneigh-

borhood.Thecurrentpresident,SisterTesaFitzgerald, saidinrecentyearsthere’s beenaconcertedeffortto changethat.

Today,there’sahumof activityonthecampus,with 2,000peopleworking,visiting andlivingonthegrounds.And everywheretherearenatural pathwaystoinvitevisitorsto walkthegrounds,whichare opendailytothecommunity.

“Wehaveamagnificent campushere,”saidFitzgerald, 77.“It’simportantwenetwork

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TheSistersofSt.Joseph’s212-acrecampusinBrentwoodisa

sustainablemodelthatleasestoorganicgrowers,includingTheraFarms,above. Video:newsday.com/LILife

ONTHECOVER. Garden MinistrymanagerHeather Ganz-Bolkas,left,andSister MaryLouBuserworkinthe gardenBuserstartedin1987.

anddon’tliveinsilos.Oneof ourmaximsistobeattentive tothedearneighbor.Well,the dearneighborisoutsidethese gates,soyouhavetoinvite peoplein.”

Andthesistershavealotto showthem.

ACRESONINNOVATION

SisterKarenBurke,coordinatoroftheorder’slandinitiatives,saidthesisterswant otherstofeelempoweredtodo whattheyhave:createasustainablemodelthatinthiscase

includes28acresofleased organicfarms,eightacresof nativemeadowprairie,45 acresofwoodland,several honey-producingbeehives,two alternativewastewatertreatmentsystems,afour-acre ground-mountedsolararray, andEVchargingstations.

Atthecenteristhemotherhouse—themainoffice— hometomanyofthesisters andafewrefugeefamilies fromUkraineandAfghanistan. Thecampusalsoincludesthe sisters’SacredHeartChapel,

EasternSuffolkBOCES,and theMariaReginaResidence 188-bednursinghome.

Thecampusalsohousesthe CSJLearningConnectionfor AdultEducationInc.,which thesistersfoundedin1998 withtheBrentwoodschool district.ItprovidesEnglish languageclassestoover260 womenayear,withhealthcare anddomesticviolenceawarenesssupportaswell.InMarch 2022,thesistershelpedfound theLongIslandImmigration Clinictohelpasylumseekers.

assistsincarceratedwomen andmothers.

WandaOrtiz-Rivera,assistantsuperintendentofsecondaryeducationandbilingual K-12programsfortheBrentwoodschooldistrict,saidthe districtofover18,000students hasbeenpartneringwiththe sistersformorethan25years.

“Theireffortsinsupporting ourpre-Kprograms,adultESL educationandfarm-to-table initiativeshavetransformed livesandempoweredfamilies thatcomefromallpartsofthe world,”shesaid.“Therefugee familiestheyhousecometo ourschools.Theycoulddoa lotofthingswiththatbeautiful space,buttheywanttoprovide toourinstitutionsandorganizationsthataregoingtohelp thecommunity.”

AretreatcenterinHampton Bays,St.JosephVilla,isalso usedforinitiativesincludinga partnershipwithsixIndigenouswomenfromtheShinnecockNationwhoarekelp farmers,plusateachinggarden andbeehivestohelppeople learnabouthoneybees,compostingandsoilpropagation. Theseministriesarepartof thesisters’historyofsupportingeducation,spirituality, healthcareandjustice.Akey focussince2015hasalsobeen environmentaljustice.

FORMERAUSTRALHOTEL

There’salsoaseparaterefugee resettlementprogramthat provideshousingandhospitality.

Thesistersranahigh school,theAcademyofSt. Joseph,until2009.Sincethen, they’veleasedbuildingsto othereducationalprograms, liketheShepherd’sGateUniversalPre-K,whichhasabout 300children,andtheMDQ Academy,aMuslimschool. TherearealsononprofitprogramslikeNewHOURfor WomenandChildren,which

TheSistersofSt.Joseph originatedinLePuy-en-Velay, France,andwhentheorder cametotheUnitedStates,it startedintheSt.Louisareain 1836.Around1856thesisters weresenttoWilliamsburg, Brooklyn,andthenexpanded in1860toFlushing,Queens.In 1896,themothersuperior, MotherMaryLouis,waslookingforaplacewherethesisterscouldgoforretreat,study andreflection.TheRobertW. PearsallestateinBrentwood, whichhadbecomethe 125-roomAustralHotelin1888, wasonthemarket.Thesisters purchasedthepropertyand calleditBrentwoodinthe Pines,afterthearea’s350acres ofpinetrees,whichwere toutedfortheirhealingeffects.

Todaytheproperty,at1725 BrentwoodRd.,isdesignated

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SisterKarenBurkecoordinates theorder’slandinitiatives.She saidthatthesistershopetheir environmentaleffortswill inspireothers.

The“sharingtable,”whereneighborsarewelcometotakeand donatefood,isalongstandingtraditionfortheSistersofSt.Joseph.

Thegroundsareopendailytothepublic,andtheyincludefeatures suchasalabyrinthandawoodlandtrailcalledtheCosmicWalk.

‘Leadersin conservation’

ontheNationalRegisterof HistoricPlaces.Currently,65 sistersliveinthemotherhouse andabout35resideinother buildingsalongBrentwood Road.Thesistersrangeinage from42toafewcentenarians.

Alloftheirendeavorssupporttheirbeliefsaboutinclusivity.

“Wealwaystalkaboutuniting allinGod’slove.It’saboutall differentfaithtraditions,certainlypeopleofdifferentsexual orientation,ethnicgroups, culturalgroups.Andthat’sabig partofourmessage,nobody beingexcluded,”saidBurke,63. “We’rehopingthatwecanunite allpeopleinloveofGodand neighborandseeingnatureas partofourneighbor,too.”

SHIFTIN2015

She’sreferencingtheenvironmentalministrythathas beenalargefocusofthesisters’missionsince2015.Until the1960s,therewasanactive farmonthegrounds,butmost ofthelandfellfallow.Burke saidfoundationalworkwasin progresswiththesisters’Earth Matterscommitteetofind waystocarefortheproperty inanenvironmentallysustainableway.

Whatresultedwasaland ethicstatement—thesisters’ planfortheirgrounds—based ontheircharism,orspiritual gifts,andtheirawarenessof theirresponsibilityforthe healthofEarthand,inparticular,fortheLongIslandbioregion.Thereareninecommitments,includingtobewell-informedinmodernsciencesthat willenrichtheirbeliefsand perspectives.Theyalsoagreed toresearchoptionssuchasland trusts,easements,deedrestrictionsandthetransferorselling ofdevelopmentrightsinorder todeterminethebestwayto preservetheirland.

Buttheyrealizedinorderto bringthestatementtofruition theyneededexperthelp.The sisterspartneredwiththe nonprofitPeconicLandTrust, whosemissionistoprotect LongIsland’sworkingfarms andnaturallands.TheydiscussedtheirgoalswithKimberlyQuarty,directorofconservationplanning,andDanHeston,directorofagricultural

programs,whoquicklyrealized thesisterswereplanningtoput asolararray—groundmountedsolarpanels—on primesoil.TheTrusthelped themrethinkthelocationofthe panels,thendevelopedaconceptplanforsettingup3,192 solarpanels,whichnowgenerateapproximately70%ofthe electricityforthecampus.It alsositedexpansionforwastewatermanagementandidentifiedareasforpreservation.

“Thesisterswerereally interestedinwhat’sthebest usefortheirland,”saidQuarty, 54.“Whenwefirstmetwith themtheywerejustmowing manyacresoflawn.Wetalked aboutgettingintoagricultural productionsoitcouldbe productiveandmoresustainable.”

TheTrustidentifiedapproximately28acresforfarmland preservationandrecommendedsellingdevelopment

rightstoSuffolkCountyunder theirFarmlandProtection Program.However,Heston,54, saidtheyfirsthadtoprove theyhadfarmleases,andthat meantgettingthelandready. Theyputintwowells,electricityandanirrigationsystem andpreppedallthefields. Meanwhile,TeddyBolkas, 47,whogrewuponafamily farminRonkonkoma,was lookingforavailablelandto leaseinwesternSuffolk.He

contactedtheTrustandin August2016determinedhe couldlease20acres.Theother eightacresareleasedbynonprofitslikeIslandHarvest FoodBankandS.T.R.O.N.G. Youth,andsmall-scalefarmers likeTheRedFoxFarmsand NapolitanoFamilyFarm. BolkasrunsTheraFarms, whereheacceptsSNAPand WICbenefitsandofferscommunity-supportedagriculture shares.Inadditiontovegeta-

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ChildrenmaketheirwaytotheTheraFarmsfieldstopickberries.Thecampusincludes28acresleasedtoorganicfarmers.

In1896,theSistersofSt.JosephpurchasedtheformerAustral Hotel,whichlaterbecametheirmotherhouse.

Theorder’sHoneyHouseispartofitsGardenMinistry,through whichthesistersteachcommunitymemberstogrowfood.

bles,therearestrawberries, blueberriesandsugarsnap peasforpicking,aswellas cuttingflowergardens.And hegrowswhatBrentwood’s largelyHispaniccommunity asksfor,likeradishesand cucumbers.

“Itoldthesistersfromthe beginningIdidn’twantto growfoodinBrentwoodand sellitinManhattan.Iwantto supporttheneighborhoodthat supportsme,”Bolkassaid.

ENSURINGALEGACY

TheTrustalsohelpedthe sisterstodevelopamaster planforthewholepropertyin partnershipwithRusty Schmidt,alandscapeecologist withNelson,Pope&Voorhis,a Melville-basedenvironmental planningcompany.Currently theTrustisfacilitatingthe preservationofapproximately 43acresofwoodlandwiththe stateDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation.The

otherunderutilizedlawnarea, theyplantedaneight-acre meadowofgrassesandflowers thatmimicstheendangered HempsteadPlains.Andthe wallsandprivetsthatusedto separatethemfromthecommunityhavebeenreplaced withnativeshrubslike inkberryholly.

“TheSistersofSt.Josephare verycognizantthattheywill notbehereforeverandwant toensurealegacy.They’re tryingtothinkofeverything,” Quartysaid.“Weshouldrecognizethemforreallybeingone oftheleadersinconservation.”

Butallofthisworkrequires peopleonsitewhohaveadeep knowledgeofdailymaintenance.InDecember2019,the sistershiredalandecologist, AmandaFurcall.Sincethen, she’sbeenleadingtheefforts todorestoration,nativegardeningandorganicfarming.Furcall,32,nowthedirectorof environmentalsustainability, saidthesisters’workcanbea modelforotherdenominations.

“Asidefromthegovernment, religiousinstitutionsownthe mostlandinthiscountry.From aconservationperspective,the environmentalmovement needsreligiousorganizations onboardandunderstanding whatthetoolsareforthemto carefortheirland,”shesaid.

SHARINGTHEBOUNTY

Anotheraspectofthesisters’ workissharingbestpractices withthecommunitythrough theirorganicgardens.In1987, SisterMaryLouBuser,now88, startedasmallorganicpatchto growvegetables.She’dputa tableoutforthecommunityto takewhattheywantedforfree oradonation,whichthesisters designatedthe“sharingtable.” Thensomeonedroppedoff chickens.Thegardensgrew fromtheretoincludeachicken coop,goatsandrabbits.EventuallytheycalledittheGarden Ministry,throughwhichthey teachcommunitymembersto garden.

collected7,000eggs.Additionally,therearetwodozen 4-by-15-footcommunitygarden bedsforlocalfamilieswho aren’tabletoplantattheir homes.

CathleenRuiz,52,whosaid shewalkedpastthegrounds everydayofherchildhoodand neverknewwhatitwas,visited forthefirsttimethreeyears ago.Sincethen,theBrentwood residenthasbeenvolunteering intheGardenMinistrywith herfamilyandhasherown plottogroworganicherbsand vegetables.Ruiz,whoteaches ataChristianschoolin Freeport,hasbeenabletooffer excessproducetoherstudents aswellasbringthemtothe farmforlessons.

“Thegardenisafamilytype ofministryandanicewayfor thesisterstogivebacktothe community,”shesaid.

Thereareotherexperiences thathavebeenopenedtothe publicaswell,likeanatural labyrinthandtheCosmic Walk,whichismarkedbya seriesofstonesplacedalonga woodlandtrailthatguide visitorsthrough26momentsin thestoryoftheuniverse.

Schmidtsaidtheexamplethe sistershavesethasattractedthe attentionoflocalbusinesses whoareintheprocessofcreatingsimilareasementsand ecosystems,aswellasother denominations,includingthe UnitarianUniversalistCongregationatShelterRock.

“Thesisters’212-acreoasisis inthemiddleofBrentwood, whereeveryone’swelcome....I thinkthesistersareverygenerousinhelpingthecommunity asawhole,”Schmidtsaid.

Trustisalsoworkingtopreserveanadditional35acresof meadowhabitatthrougha conservationeasementdonation.

Schmidt,52,whosaidthe sisters’landethicstatement“is oneofthebestonLongIsland,”hashelpedthemimplementalargeraingardenthat resolvedfloodinginaparking lotandplantameadowof pollinatorgrassesandflowers underthesolararray.Inan-

Since2016,theGardenMinistrymanagerhasbeen HeatherGanz-Bolkas,38,who wasasisterforsixyears. Ganz-Bolkas,whomarried Teddyin2018,saidsheloved whatBuserwasdoingandhad avision“tokeepitgrowing, broadenitanddeepenit.”

Theministrynowhasabout 20gardenbeds. Andthesharingtablemodel continues.Lastyearthesisters grewenoughvegetablesto provideapproximately2,500 mealstothecommunityand

Eventhecemetery,which holdstheremainsof1,100 sisters,issustainable,with nativeplantingsamongthe gravestones.Thesistersalso saytheymustacknowledge thattheircampusisonoccupiedIndigenousland,asmembersoftheSecatoguetribe oncelivedthere.Tohonor Indigenouspeople,thereisan unmarkedareainthecemetery.

Thesisters,intheirland ethicstatement,saythataland acknowledgment“remindsus allofthetribesthathavebeen intentionallyerasedthrough thegenocidecommittedbythe UnitedStatesgovernmentand thedisplacementofIndigenouspeople”andthatsuchan acknowledgmentisnotenough —“itisjustastart.”

So,too,istheirworkwith environmentaljustice.As Burkesays,there’salways goingtobemoretodo.

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AmandaFurcall,thedirectorofenvironmentalsustainability,saidthesisters’workisamodelforothers.

InMay,the sistersheldafun runoncampusto buildcommunity andraisefunds fortheirwork.A Zumbaevent thatdaydrew LakilahGregory, center,andher daughter Mackenzie GregoryofDix Hills.

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