In May 2021, the Alliance and ecoLatinos set forth to partner on a new project: The Greening of St. Catherine Labouré. Sitting on almost 10 acres of beautiful property in Montgomery County, MD, the Catholic church has immaculate grounds. However, more than half of the property is covered in impervious surfaces, where water cannot penetrate. There was simply too much rainwater coming off of these hard surfaces, causing constant water issues. The Alliance and ecoLatinos saw this site as an opportunity to address these stormwater concerns and do so with the parishioners at the forefront. St. Catherine houses the largest parish in Montgomery County and a significant portion of this parish is Latino and/or Spanish-speaking.

After receiving funding from the Montgomery County Watershed Restoration and Outreach Award Program, the Alliance and ecoLatinos worked with Shorb Landscaping and parish leaders to install rain gardens, trees, native landscaping, and rain barrels on the St. Catherine site. These stormwater infrastructure elements were scattered between the church’s sanctuary and rectory. Each project installation was paired with bi-lingual outreach and education to St Catherine’s full parish. The Alliance unveiled and installed bi-lingual educational signage for each project, encouraging parishioners to implement similar projects on residential properties through the Montgomery County RainScapes program. In total, this project helped educate hundreds of Spanish and English-speaking parishioners, engage 60+ volunteers, and install over 2,000 square feet of green stormwater infrastructure in Wheaton, Maryland.

a mulched garden with various shrubs and trees in it, sunlight in the background

The rain garden installed at St. Catherine Labouré Church

After the success of the original stormwater installations on the property, St. Catherine’s staff were eager to pursue more opportunities. As a result, the Alliance and ecoLatinos worked with the church once again to apply for and receive funding through the Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Grant Program; this time for replacing one of the church’s asphalt parking lots with permeable pavers. Permeable pavement installations can be expensive, but the stormwater retention volume of these projects is significant, especially when they can capture sheet flow (water flowing off) from surrounding impervious surfaces or the downspouts of nearby buildings.

A green garden in the foreground, people working in the background

A crew from First Impression Hardscapes installs permeable pavement in a 7,000-square-foot parking lot at St. Catherine Labouré Catholic Church in Wheaton, Md., on May 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

This project has just finished construction, thanks to First Impressions Hardscapes, and is addressing around 7,000 square feet of stormwater runoff on the church’s property. Permeable pavers do have their own set of maintenance needs and the Alliance has plans to provide the landscaping team with the skills, knowledge, and physical equipment they will need for the job. With proper maintenance, this permeable paver parking lot will remain fully functional, both as a stormwater practice and as a parking lot for years to come. An educational, bi-lingual sign will pair with the project, so parishioners can see what goes on underneath the permeable paver system and how the stormwater infiltration happens.

a before and after shot of parking lot after installing permeable pavers

Left, the St. Catherine parking lot before the permeable paver was installed. Right, the almost complete, new permeable parking lot.

While the sheer visibility of these projects has garnered interest, the Alliance also strives to share these stories using multimedia. Check out the video below to see and hear more from the project partners!

None of these projects could have been possible without the funding from Montgomery County, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and the Environmental Protection Agency. We are already seeing the multilayered benefits to the property, parish, and surrounding community! Neighbors from the residential streets surrounding the church have inquired about installing similar practices on their properties or common areas, which is the clearest sign that these practices are serving the community as intended – to make outdoor spaces more environmentally resilient, accessible, and engaging.

Learn more about the Alliance’s Green Infrastructure Projects