Faith in the Public Square

T he 28th annual Kateri Peace Conference will be on August 15 at the St. Kateri Shrine in Fonda. The theme is “Weaving A Tapestry of Renewal, Resilience and Transformation.” According to the organizers:     We are living through a time in our collective history when great and overwhelming confusion and debilitating fear often result in the temptation to withdraw, surrendering hope and our ability to act.       The list of reasons for this paralysis are numerous and can be terrifying, heartbreaking, enraging. The pain we are all experiencing is extensive and the suffering in our world and planetary family can be felt at every turn.  What then are our alternatives?        This year’s Kateri Peace Conference offers a day of community and healing, coming together to share grief, anger and confusion yet also our strength, joy and cohesion realizing our communal connections, ability to transfor...

The annual Pax Christi New York State Gathering will be at the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine in Fonda on Friday, August 14 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The theme is “Living Nonviolence in a Violent World.”   The featured speakers are:     - Marie Dennis, Director of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence and Senior Director of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative of Pax Christi International; and     - Tom Cordaro, former director of Justice and Outreach Ministry at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Naperville, IL and former chair of the Pax Christi USA National Council.   The gathering is open to the public.   Organizers request a donation of $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Payments by check can be made payable to Pax Christi New York State and sent to Tom Casey, 70 Shearer Avenue, East Aurora, NY 14052-1621.   For more information, contact Rosemarie Pace at  nypaxchristi@gmail.com .