St. John the Evangelist Installing New Solar System

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Tucson, AZ entered into an agreement for the construction of two new solar structures on its parish campus with no out-of-pocket expense to the parish up-front.

“Besides the projected cost savings, the greatest benefit from these structures is that we will now have covered parking for some of our parish visitors plus a covered basketball court for our student-athletes as well as our neighbors who come here to play basketball,” said Tom Baca, Business Manager at St. John the Evangelist.

The new solar system will generate a portion of the church’s electricity needs. The church will then purchase that electricity from its solar vendor, with the remaining electricity purchased from its current electricity provider. The combined electricity purchases are estimated to save the church over half a million dollars over the 25-year term of the agreement.

Construction of the new structures began on February 21, 2022, and is expected to continue through the end of March 2022. The solar company selected has installed systems for dozens of local and county governments and school districts. It also has a reputation for speedy installation work.

“We ask all parishioners, parents, and visitors to be patient and watchful during the next few weeks of construction to make sure everyone is safe,” said Baca. “Perhaps we can consider this a small sacrifice of time and convenience during this Lenten season that will benefit our community long-term.”

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church is among the largest parishes within the Diocese of Tucson. Located in southern Tucson, the parish serves a mix of both English and Spanish-speaking families. Its major ministries include: a parish Religious Education program serving approximately 250 school-aged children, youth, and adults; St. John the Evangelist Catholic School with an enrollment of approximately 400 students per year in kindergarten through 8th grade; Casa San Juan Migrant Center providing food, medical and legal assistance; and a variety of lay ministries.