By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

Perspectives on promoting peace will be shared in earnest Feb. 14 when representatives of three faith communities come together for a 7 p.m. interreligious panel discussion on peace in the community room of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville.

Co-sponsored by St. Ann Parish and the Coalition for Peace Action – a grassroots citizens’ organization that brings 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 – the panel discussion will feature faith leaders Rabbi Benjamin Adler from Adath Israel Congregation, Lawrenceville; the Rev. Robert Moore, president of Princeton Coalition for Peace Action, and Iman Sohaib Nazeer Sultan, Muslim Life Coordinator and Chaplain in Princeton University.

According to Gary Maccaroni, pastoral associate in St. Ann Parish, the impetus to have members of three “Abrahamic traditions” dialogue on peace came at the initiative of Martha Andrade-Dousdebes, a parishioner and member of the parish pastoral council who had coordinated similar events when she resided in California.
Through their planning, Maccaroni, Andrade-Dousdebes and Trinitarian Father Gerard Lynch, St. Ann pastor, decided to hold an initial event that would be more educational in nature and a follow-up prayer experience that will be scheduled for September.

Noting that St. Ann Parish has a history in promoting peace efforts that goes back more than 15 years following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Maccaroni said the parish “has always made an effort to be intentional about the work of peace.” One example he cited was the peacemaking workshop the parish held after the terrorist attacks during which cranes were made and hung in the church sanctuary during September. The parish has since continued the “cranes tradition,” he said, noting that the chosen theme for 2016 was “30 Days for Peace.”

Maccaroni said that St. Ann Parish has joined with other faith communities for ecumenical and interreligious events such as the prayer service held at Thanksgiving time. Now hosting a dialogue on peace, he said is meaningful because “the world we live in today is in need of peace/non-violent solutions to our issues and problems.” Another impetus for the dialogue on peace, Maccaroni added, came after reading Pope Francis’ message for The Celebration of the Fiftieth World Day of Peace, subtitled “Nonviolence: A Style of Politics for Peace.”

“After reflecting on Jesus and his Gospel of non-violence, Pope Francis concludes his message by reminding us that we all have a role to play in the building of safe communities and a better world,” Maccaroni said. The Holy Father, in his letter wrote: “All of us want peace. Many people build it day by day through small gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere in their efforts to be peacemakers. In 2017, may we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to building nonviolent communities that care for our common home. Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an artisan of peace.”

“In order for us to be effective, a shared responsibility approach is needed to help create a culture of peace, and to acknowledge that we need each other, that all people have dignity and image God, our creator,” Maccaroni said. “We hope that by providing events like this, we can help to advance the work of peace.” 

Encouraging participant attendance at the Feb. 14 dialogue, Andrade-Dousdebes concurred with Maccaroni, saying that, “Peace is obtainable when we break down the barriers of race, creed and culture and when we come together in a spirit of unity.”

“We can take steps toward a more integrated society by learning more about each other’s faiths, cultures and practices. The Church of St. Ann wants to promote peace by helping our community learn more about the teachings of peace in Judaism, Christianity and Islam and, for this purpose it has organized a panel presentation and discussion. Each tradition will be represented by its respective leader who will discuss how their faith fosters peace and unity as a way to erase divisions that cause false assumptions about the ‘other.’”

St. Ann Church is located at 1253 Lawrenceville Road. 

For more information, contact Andrade-Dousdebes at [email protected].