The College of St. Scholastica Department of Religious Studies will present a conference entitled "Spirituality and Social Justice After 9/11," April 16 and 17, in the Mitchell Auditorium on campus. The Friday, April 16, session begins at 7:30 p.m.; the Saturday, April 17, session begins at 8:30 a.m.
The fee is $20, and includes lunch on Saturday. Scholarship assistance is available. Registration deadline is April 8. For more information or registration forms call (218) 723-6659 or (218) 723-7000.
Featured conference speakers and their topics are:
- The Rev. John Dear, SJ -- "A Hunger for Justice." From Springer, N.M., Father Dear is a nationally known author, speaker and leader of the ecumenical peace movement and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, which is the largest, oldest, interfaith peace organization in the United States. He was in the forefront in addressing the needs of the survivors of 9/11 and coordinated the 600 chaplains who counseled the thousands of people who lost family members and friends at Ground Zero. He has worked with the homeless in Washington D.C., New York City, Richmond, Va., and El Salvador, and is pastor of numerous parishes in New Mexico.
- Ellen Pence, Ph.D. -- "How Spirituality Transforms Violence." A 1991 graduate of St. Scholastica, Pence designed the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Program, which has become a model for similar programs internationally. In addition to working at all levels of intervention related to domestic violence, she has written extensively and spoken nationally and internationally on domestic abuse.
Sister Anne McCarthy, OSB, MA -- "Spirituality for the New Millennium." A member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pa., Sister Anne directs the Center for Social Concerns at Gannon University, and is responsible for increasing community service, service-learning and participation in issues of social justice at Gannon. From 1991 to 1994, she served as national coordinator for Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement. She served on the executive committee of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and currently chairs the 9/11 Peace Initiative, a coalition to stop the permanent war on terrorism. She is active in Benedictines for Peace and teaches in the community's formation program.
In addition to the featured conference speakers, numerous presenters will conduct breakout sessions on a variety of topics.
The conference will explore causes of despair, injustice and violence, and make spiritual and critically reflective suggestions for ways to live in hope, justice and peace.
