St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring is setting a powerful example for Catholic parishes in Montgomery County by embracing sustainability as a core value. Guided by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ and in partnership with the Montgomery County Green Bank and Chesapeake Bay Palmetto Partners, the parish is embarking on ambitious projects to reduce its carbon footprint and embrace the call for phasing out the use of fossil fuels “without delay.”

What’s Being Done?

The main church building, constructed in the 1970s, is replacing the inefficient 1970s-era heating and cooling system used in its main church building. With the Green Bank support, the parish has completed the engineering and design phase for a cutting-edge, all-electric system. The new system will be completely electric and will be powered by the St. Camillus’s purchase of renewable electricity, making the church a zero-carbon-emissions facility while significantly reducing energy costs.

What’s Next?

The parish is conducting an engineering study to evaluate the feasibility of ground-source heat pumps as a cost-effective and eco-friendly way to heat and cool the center. The engineering study, partially funded by the Montgomery County Green Bank Technical Assistance Program, will assess the ground’s capacity to support geothermal energy. If results are favorable, federal, state, and private subsidies could cover a significant portion of the system’s cost. While decisions are pending approval by the parish and the Archdiocese of Washington, this exploration demonstrates the parish’s leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship.

Why Geothermal?

The current system relies on gas-fired steam boilers and window air conditioners—both inefficient, expensive, and polluting. Ground-source heat pumps offer a sustainable alternative, leveraging the earth’s natural heating and cooling properties beneath the parking lot.

How You Can Get Involved

St. Camillus’ sustainability efforts provide an inspiring model for other Catholic communities. The Montgomery County Green Bank stands ready to support catholic leaders, parishes and schools in:

• Understanding and acting towards the Montgomery County Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)
• Understand available renewable energy resources and clear the path on how to efficiently implement them.
• Asses and protect all catholic facilities and the communities they served from climate hazards (e.g. flood, extreme weather events, extreme heat exposure) through climate-resilience and nature positive solutions.