Three Catholic parishes in Mercer County will join their brothers and sisters of other faiths Nov. 12 at Princeton University in a program to promote peaceful discourse.
The 38th annual Multi-faith Service and Conference for Peace: “The Challenges of Peace in the Trump Era,” is sponsored by the Coalition for Peace Action and cosponsored by more than 40 area agencies, churches, temples, mosques and other religious institutions, including Diocese of Trenton parishes St. Anthony of Padua, Hightstown; St. Paul, Princeton, and St. Ann, Lawrenceville.
The day will begin at 11 a.m. in the Princeton University Chapel (on campus between Firestone Library and Washington Road) for a multi-faith service conducted by Reza Aslan, writer, commentator and religion scholar who is a tenured professor at the University of California, Riverside, and serves on the board of trustees for the Chicago Theological Seminary.
The Conference for Peace will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, across from Palmer Square. Speakers include N.J. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, a long-time advocate for economically and socially disadvantaged populations; Elayne Whyte Gomez, representative of Costa Rica to the U.N.; Suzy Kim, Rutgers professor of Korean studies, and Elaine Scarry, Harvard professor whose work focuses on the problem of citizenship in the face of intentionally inflicted injury, including torture, war, and the structures in place since the invention of nuclear weapons
The Coalition for Peace Action is a grassroots citizens’ organization founded by Reverend Robert Moore, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Its goal is to bring together people of all ages, backgrounds, professions and political persuasions around three goals: global abolition of nuclear weapons, a peace economy and a halt to weapons trafficking at home and abroad.
Gary Maccaroni, pastoral associate at St. Ann Parish, noted the reason for the Lawrenceville faith community’s participation in the conference.
“[St. Ann Church] has held events with a focus on peace throughout the month of October, and [Rev.] Bob Moore was on one of our ecumenical panels,” Maccaroni said. “We want to connect this to Catholic social teaching, for it is a broader issue. We cannot lose sight that this could be considered a Gospel issue, a Gospel mandate.”
The multi-faith service and conference are free and open to the public; a free will offering to benefit The Coalition for Peace Action will be taken. To register for the conference, or for further information, contact peacecoalition.org or call 609-924-5022.