September 19, 2011
St. John’s University Video Streams Event with Blessing of Vatican,
NYC Archbishop Dolan
The Community of Sant’Egidio hosted the “Destined to Live Together,
Religions and Cultures in Dialogue for a New Decade” conference in
Munich yesterday morning video-streaming dialogue from different
inter-religious faiths in New York and Rome, Italy, to discuss this
prevalent topic in observance of the 10th anniversary of
9-11 in the United States. St. John’s University’s Manhattan campus
served as the U.S. location for this unprecedented sharing of ideas
among religious leaders.
“Yes, my dear sisters and brothers, there is a common destiny for
all of us and it is that of living together in solidarity. The
memory of September 11th, the memory of those who lost
their lives and of the sorrows of their loved ones, must always be
an occasion for promoting peace and mutual respect,” said Most
Reverend Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, in a letter to
conference participants in the U.S. and abroad. “The next ten years
of this still new century cannot be like the first. Peace must
finally reign!”
The Sant’Egidio Community, a Christian organization that is
officially recognized by the Catholic Church as a "church public
lay association” with more than 50,000 members in more than 70
countries, coordinated this effort as part of a tradition of
impactful events started by Blessed Pope John Paul II in
1986.
Faith, the passion that binds these leaders and their religious
beliefs, is the instrument for healing and moving forward in the
wake of the 9-11 attacks. St. John’s, in the tradition of its
Catholic mission, has imparted its faith and understanding of 9-11
to its student body and University community – but felt compelled
to assist on a larger scale – in making this global conference a
reality at the school’s Manhattan campus (which served as a Red
Cross triage site during the 9-11 attacks).
“We have seen peace wasted in the first decade of this new century,
in many forms of violence, brutal terrorism, wars, in the weak
efforts made to tackle poverty. Now, in the heart of the 21st
century, we need to begin a new decade of peace, of more radical
understanding among peoples, of commitment to reduce poverty,” said
Sant’Egidio’s Andrea Riccardi, in a statement made in Barcelona in
2010. “In order to accomplish such an ambitious program, well
prepared agendas are not enough; we need spirit, which generates
hope.”
Sant’Egidio’s Andrea Bartoli gave the keynote address. Paola
Pisctelli, President of Sant'Egidio USA and Claudio Mario Betti
(Sant'Egidio in Rome) also participated along with faith-based
leaders from the Catholic, Orthodox and Methodist denominations as
well as Islamic, Jewish, and Buddhist communities during the
five-hour conference. Rev. James Maher, Executive Vice President
for Mission and Dr. Shea-Byrnes, Vice President of University
Ministry and Special Events represented St. John’s
University.
“It is our great
struggle: How do we struggle to reconcile the reality of sin and
evil? It is a struggle which is so relevant to the tenth
anniversary of 9-11 and is reflective of our struggle to find life
in the midst of our human frailty and weakness,” noted Rev. Maher,
in his lecture at the conference. “We are well aware of the threat
of terror and violence which takes hold of our world, but God
demands much more of us. As people who seek to be reconcilers
and bearers of life, we remember the words of Pope Paul VI, "If you
want peace, work for justice.”
“The ideas and collaborative focus that all religious, political
and higher education leaders exchanged had a
special satisfaction that emerged from the conference,” noted Dr.
Shea-Byrnes. “It was a very powerful and moving
experience.”
For more information on the conference contact, Dominic Scianna,
Assistant Vice President for Media Relations, by calling
718.990.6185 or e-mail inquiries to
sciannad@stjohns.edu
.