Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Green Monastery

INTRO:

A MONASTERY IN GREAT FALLS, MONTANA IS UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO INTERPRET THE TEACHINGS OF A 13TH CENTURY SAINT.
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES PATRON SAINT OF ANIMALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT CHANCES ARE HE NEVER DREAMED OF WIND POWERING MONASTERIES.
CAPITOL REPORTER EMILIE RITTER HAS THE STORY….

SCRIPT:

(SLOW FADE IN NATS OF SINGING)

THE MONASTERY OF SAINT CLARE SITS ON A WIDE OPEN BLUFF ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF TOWN.
FOUR SISTERS – KNOWN AS POOR CLARES – EAT PRAY AND LIVE AT THE NEWLY BUILT BRICK MONASTERY.

(NATS UP OF SINGING)

POOR CLARES BELONG TO THE FRANCISCAN ORDER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND ADHERE TO THE TEACHINGS OF SAINT FRANCIS, WHO HAD A HIGH REGARD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT….

COOK: “He spoke of brother wind and brother fire and sister water and our sister mother earth….COOK.WAV :07

SISTER CATHERINE COOK SAYS SAINT FRANCIS TAUGHT HIS FOLLOWERS TO CARE FOR AND LOVE ALL THE ELEMENTS….

COOK: “That’s all part of our own Franciscan heritage, and so it seems like a natural to have wind turbines…to ask brother wind to help us out.” Cook1.wav :10

SO, LAST MONTH TWO, BRAND NEW WIND TURBINES WENT UP IN THEIR FRONT YARD.
THE SISTERS SAY AS SOON AS THEY MOVED INTO THE MONASTERY IN 2005 THEY KNEW WIND ENERGY WOULD BE PART OF THE PLAN.
SISTER CATHERINE SAYS THEY BEGAN READING ABOUT WIND POWER AND WAYS THE MONASTERY COULD MOVE AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS…

COOK: “It’s not only what they can do, but we find them very graceful, we think they add something to the landscape, they look like they’re dancing when they’re rotating. It’s almost as if they’re giving praise to god.” Cook4.wav :14

(NATS OUTSIDE – NATS OF WORKING)

SCOTT PALMER, OWNER OF WIND POWER OF MONTANA HAS BEEN OUT FRONT FINISHING UP HIS PART OF PROJECT….

PALMER: “We run wire from the top of the turbines down through the pole and into the ground and bring it up to the houses, then we have electricians come in and wire them from that point into the breaker box.” Palmer3.wav :13

PALMER SAYS THE TWO, 35 FOOT TALL TURBINES WILL PRODUCE ABOUT 4 POINT 8 KILOWATT HOURS OF POWER.
HE’S NOT SURE THAT WILL BE ENOUGH TO POWER THE ENTIRE MONASTERY, BUT SAYS IT WILL DEFINITELY MAKE A DENT IN THEIR ELECTRIC BILL.

PALMER: “It’s been a joy working with them, because they’re so fun (RITTER: cause they’re excited) Yeah their enthusiasm is just phenomenal.” Palmer1.wav :08

INSCRIBED INTO THE CONCRETE BASE OF THE TURBINES, THE SISTERS EACH WROTE MESSAGES TO ENCOURAGE LOTS OF WIND….THINGS LIKE BLOW SPIRIT WIND AND BROTHER WIND BLESS THE LORD.
SISTER MARYALICE PIERCE WROTE A GRANT REQUEST TWO YEARS AGO TO NORTHWESTERN ENERGY, IN HOPES OF BEING ABLE TO FUND THEIR TURBINES.
THE MONASTERY RECEIVED 17-THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF RENEWABLE ENERGY GRANTS, THE TURBINES COST A TOTAL OF 24-THOUSAND TO COMPLETE – THE SISTERS ARE HOPING FOR DONATIONS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.
PLUS, SISTER MARYALICE SAYS WIND POWER ISN’T THE ONLY WAY THE POOR CLARES ARE GOING GREEN…

PIERCE: “We do a lot of recycling. Practically everything we can recycle we do, paper, bottles, cans, whatever. We’re very conscious about using things so we don’t waste.” Pierce.wav :14

THE SISTERS ALSO DO A LOT OF THEIR WORK VIA EMAIL, THINGS LIKE PRAYER REQUESTS AND SPIRITUAL COUNSELING.
PLUS THEY HAVE A WEBSITE.
SISTER CATHERINE SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT THEY LIVE IN THE ‘REAL WORLD’ AND TECHNOLOGY IS ONE WAY THEY’RE ABLE TO DO THEIR DAILY WORK…

COOK: “We are a community dedicated to prayer primarily, for the church and the world, so everything in our life is based on that.” Cook2.wav :10

(NATS FADE UP)

IT’S A VERY PEACEFUL PLACE.
QUIET, EXCEPT DURING PRAYER AND DINNER.
AND NOW – TWO TOWERING WIND TURBINES WILL ADD TO THE GRACE OF THE MONASTERY OF SAINT CLARE.
FOR MONTANA EVENING EDITION, I’M EMILIE RITTER IN GREAT FALLS.