A memorial Mass for Sister Paula Gonzalez, a Sister of Charity, environmental campaigner and biologist known as the "Solar Nun", took place yesterday in Ohio.
Sister Gonzalez, who died at the age 83, earned the nickname after transforming a chicken barn into a passive solar house; her work was featured in the 1993 PBS series Earthkeepers.
Outside of TV coverage, Sister Gonzalez was dedicated to environmental learning and awareness. After earning her doctorate in biology at The Catholic University of America, Washington, Sister Gonzalez taught biology at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati for 21 years.
