Pax Christi Texas Fourth Social Justice Forum of 2026

(Rescheduled from October 19 to October 26)

You Are Invited to the

Pax Christi Texas Fourth Social Justice Forum of 2026

Monday, October 26, 2026 7 pm CST by zoom

"Three Questions About AI,

From the Perspective of Human Dignity and Social Justice"

Presenter: Fr. Pawell Szymanowski, CR, is a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection and teaches moral theology at Oblate School of Theology. His international experience includes Poland, Italy, Austria and Canada, where he has worked in parish ministry and religious formation. His main area of research is social ethics, particularly questions of citizenship and the impact of technology on human life and society.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89529060666?pwd=WxibPw2oE408sgX2BPKGdntKA0mYZu.1

Our presentations are open to all learners and there is no charge. You are invited to bring your questions and to review the following attachment (see below), should you want to prepare for this event. Our format includes a presentation followed by an open discussion. Peace be with you.

Arthur Dawes, Pax Christi USA National Council Board Member, Convener Pax Christi Texas

arthurdawes@att.net

Three Questions About AI: From the Perspective of Human Dignity and Social Justice

Artificial intelligence is developing very quickly. Most often, we approach AI from a practical perspective: How can we use it in our ministries? What can it do for us? But I believe this is also a moment when we need to step back and ask more fundamental questions. 

During our conversation, I would like to share three questions that I think are particularly important when we think about AI today, especially from the perspective of human dignity and social justice.

But I would also like to hear your questions. As preparation for our meeting, I invite you to read paragraphs 106-108 of Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas and think about one question about AI that you believe is important for us to ask today. Your question does not need to be directly related to the text; the reading is simply meant as an inspiration for your reflection. 

During our meeting, we will have time to share and discuss some of these questions together. 

About the Presenter 

Fr. Pawel Szymanowski, CR, is a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection and teaches moral theology at Oblate School of Theology. His international experience includes Poland, Italy, Austria, and Canada, where he has worked in parish ministry and religious formation. His main area of research is social ethics, particularly questions of citizenship and the impact of technology on human life and society. 

The Three Questions on AI

Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas, 106-108 

106. Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family. This need is all the more urgent given the frequent imbalance between the speed of technological growth and the slower development of awareness, norms, safeguards and institutions capable of governing its effects. It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required. Otherwise, change will be governed only by technocratic thinking and presented as necessary and inevitable, ultimately imposing rules shaped by those who control data, infrastructure and computing power. 

      

107. We cannot be satisfied with merely calling for the moralization of machines — the so-called “alignment” of AI with human values — without also having the courage to insist on a further condition: the possibility of openly discussing the ethical frameworks involved and subjecting them to shared standards of social justice. Otherwise, those who control AI will impose their own moral vision, which will become the invisible infrastructure of these systems. A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few. What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating, and of protecting the opportunities for communities still to be able to participate and ask questions.  

 

108. In fact, as with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data. In light of the common good and the universal destination of goods, this raises serious concerns, since small but highly influential groups can shape information and consumption patterns, influence democratic processes and steer economic dynamics to their own advantage, undermining social justice and solidarity among peoples. For this reason, it is essential that the use of AI, especially when it touches on public goods and fundamental rights, be guided by clear criteria and effective oversight, grounded in participation and subsidiarity. Communities and intermediary organizations must not be reduced to passive recipients of decisions made elsewhere; they must be able to contribute to discernment and oversight. Moreover, ownership of data cannot be left solely in private hands but must be appropriately regulated. Data is the product of many contributors and should not be treated as something to be sold off or entrusted to a select few. It is necessary to think creatively in order to manage data as a common or shared good, in a spirit of participation, as Saint John Paul II already suggested regarding collective goods.  

40th Annual University of the Incarnate Word Peace Day in the October Season of Justice, Peace, and Creation

 This and other Peace Day Schedules can be seen at 2026 October Season of Justice, Peace and Creation Schedule with the 40th Anniversary Peace Day | Past Peace Day Schedules  

Young people are invited to join the “Charter for Compassion Delegation” to the World Summit of Nobel Laureates for Peace in Rome the first week of December.  The deadline for registration is Oct. 30, 2026, but preparation is required before that. Register here.   

2026 October Season of Justice, Peace and Creation Schedule with the 40^th Anniversary Peace Day

 

Dr. Yosuke Nagai and Accept International “breaking the chains of violence together.”  As Incarnate Word celebrates 40 years of Peace Days, it is a leader organizing youth for the “Charter for Compassion Delegation” going to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. Some of those young people will be in conversation with Dr. Nagai, Oct. 20, at UIW.

 Compassion and Peace in the Abrahamic Traditions: A Panel of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Voices

Oct. 1, 4 pm. Online

As part of the Campaign Nonviolence Call To Action Days, Sue Parsons, Tamar Krigel-Armstrong, Iman Beytullah Colak, and Sister Martha Ann Kirk united with over 2,200 groups around the world reflecting on  nonviolence as more effective than violence.  The human species has survived because people choose to compassionately care for others, to let the suffering of others make a claim on us.  Learn more of the panel  and of the Mother’s Call, a movement that no child may be raised to kill or be killed initiated by Israel and Palestinian women.

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi                                                                                              

Oct. 4, 2026, 5 pm – 7 pm. Our Lady’s Grotto    

On the 800^th Anniversary of  St. Francis, we remember that he risked his life to dialogue with the most powerful ruler in the world, Sultan al-Kamil. A few years after Francis’ death, the Sultan, a prayerful Muslim negotiated to end the Crusades.  5 pm Environmental and Pet Fair.  6 pm Prayer for Creation and Blessing of the Animals.  Led by the Special Events Communication Arts Class of Dr. Sophia Dove and Sister Martha Ann Kirk.  Co-sponsored by the Incarnate Word Sisters Justice, Peace and Creation Office.  Contact: Sr. Martha Ann Kirk by email at kirk@uiwtx.edu or phone (210) 829-3854.

 Living the Call of Laudato Si to Care for the Earth

Friday, Oct. 9, 11 to 12 am, Bonilla Science Hall 316

 Jaype Sanz of Hilo, Hawaii, is a horticulturist and transition coach with over two decades of experience helping people connect with nature, embrace plant-based healing, and transition toward more sustainable lifestyles msha.ke. He is the executive board member of Community Partners for Innovation, director of the Urban Farm Council, and a plant-focused consultant who has worked with high-profile clients, families, and communities msha.ke.   Join in conversation with him on fostering regenerative, community-based food systems. Learn more here.   Contact: Sr. Martha Ann Kirk by email at kirk@uiwtx.edu or phone (210) 829-3854.

The Hidden History of Enslaved People in San Antonio and Our State, an exhibit called “Texas: Land of the Free”

Oct. 12 to Nov. 6,  Student Engagement Center.

As part of the observance of the 250^th Anniversary of the Constitution of the US, UIW explores facets of history, calling us to create a better future. This exhibition was organized by the  San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM)  The exhibit was planned in light a future program, Nov. 4, 10:30 am to 2:45 pm. 

From Slave-owner to “Saints”: Learn of  Those Who Lived in the Brackenridge Villa

Visit the Brackenridge Villa and learn of those who lived there such as Eleanor Brackenridge, the Texas “Mother of Women’s Suffrage,” the Incarnate Word Sisters, and an exiled Mexican Bishop. Professor Tim Draves will share on James R. Sweet, who built the right side of the house in the mid 1850’s. The year before he had sold an enslaved 13-year-old, Sarah, and bought enslaved 23-year-old George. He was both the mayor and a slave-trader. In 1862 He went to fight with the Confederacy. When defeated, he as about 500 other,  fled to Mexico. Register for a 10:30 am or 12 pm or 1:30 pm visit because space is limited From Slave-owner to “Saints”: Learn of Those Who Lived in the Brackenridge Villa | Home | University of the Incarnate Word Contact: Sr. Martha Ann Kirk  kirk@uiwtx.edu

Compassionate Communities in 1776 Inviting Us to Be Compassionate: UIW Celebrates the 250^th Anniversary of the Constitution.

In connection with the programs mentioned above, see the growing LibGuide created with the assistance of Erin Cassity of the UIW Maybee Library with resources associated with events throughout this 2026 – 2027 academic year.

Remember that in 1776, our original people in the missionary-led towns of Mission Nuestra Señora Concepción de Acuña, Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, Mission San Juan Capistrano, and Mission San Francisco de la Espada lived the ideal of Acts 2:44-45, sharing their goods. They compassionately took care of each other.  Remember how the indigenous people donated cows and one silver piece for each person to help the 13 Colonies get freedom from the British Empire. Learn of the creative non-violence supporting US independence. UIW is working for the prestigious Compassionate University designation.  Participate in UIW’s compassionate projects for the 250^th Anniversary:  

250 service hours for the 250^th Anniversary!  Your group or class can compassionately co-create the future of the U.S.A. Build on the history of our compassionate San Antonio Mission communities in the 1700’s. They shared their goods so no one was left hungry.  When you win this Compassion Game, all of us win. Reflect on the country we wish to have. Get started serving in San Antonio, a Compassionate City. Register here the 250th Anniversary.

Oral History: Collecting Stories to Build Community. Each person’s story is part of the story of the U.S.A. The Constitution of the USA, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Catholic Social Teaching all affirm that each person matters.  Share your story and collect the stories of others. Register here for more information.   

 6th Annual Blessing at the Blue Hole, the Headwaters at Incarnate Word

 Oct. 13, 9:00 am  

Join members of the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AITSCM) for the 6th Annual celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day at Incarnate Word. A ceremonial blessing at the Blue Hole in remembrance of Indigenous People. For more information, contact the Ettling Center at (210) 283-6423 or Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez at rigonza4@uiwtx.edu

 Environmental Volunteer Expo

Oct. 17, 10 -2 pm,  Urban Ecology Center, Phil Hardberger Park, 8400 N.W. Military Dr., San Antonio, TX

This is a free, family-friendly event that showcases local environmental organizations looking to recruit motivated volunteers wanting to make a real impact in San Antonio.  UIW unites with many city organizations in care of God’s creation.  Register and get details  Environmental Volunteer Expo | Home | University of the Incarnate Word

Dr. Nagai in the middle working to reconcile.

Join in Solidarity with Young Fighters Changing into Young Peacebuilders

Oct. 20,  8 am,  1:30 pm, 5:30 pm, register to get locations and details  https://uiw.givepulse.com/event/941280-Join-in-Solidarity-with-Young-Fighters-Changing-into-Young-Peacebuilders

We are “breaking the chains of violence in the world together” says Dr. Yosuke Nagai.  He is the Executive Director of Accept International  and the Founder of the Global Taskforce for Youth Combatants (GTY). Since 2011, he has led the design and implementation of deradicalization, reintegration, and rehabilitation programs for disengaged members of non-state armed groups in Somalia, Yemen, Kenya, Indonesia, and Colombia. He has also actively promoted dialogue and reconciliation initiatives in highly sensitive contexts. Hear stories of the young leaders of violence, now leaders in building reconciliation. Nagai is currently a Visiting Fellow at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, an Associate Researcher at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), University of Tokyo, and an Adjunct Lecturer at Kyoto University. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Charter for Compassion. Sister Martha Ann Kirk is preparing young leaders from our city to be part of the Charter for Compassion Delegation participating in the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome at the beginning of December. 

8 to 9 am   UIW Maybee Library Special Collections Room, 4301 Broadway, SA 78209. An introduction to Accept International and their important work from Dr. Nagai. An introduction to The International Institute for Peacebuilding in Active Conflict (IIPAC)  from the founder Mehri Hilton, a Rotarian in Ukraine, and J.C. Clapsaddle, formerly a Rotarian in San Antonio.   A conversation on learning from each other.  Light Breakfast. Register here and indicate the 8 am session.  

1:30 to 2:45 pm  Welcome to San Antonio by Former Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who was the chair of the USCM’s Mayors and Business Leaders Center for Compassionate and Equitable Cities. He launched CompassionateUSA.  Followed by Dr. Nagai. Cheever Legacy Event Center,  University of the Incarnate Word Founders Hall, 4119 Broadway, SA 78209 (enter on Hildebrand for convenient guest parking) Register here  and indicate the 1:30 pm session.

5:30 pm. Conversations with youth in the Charter for Compassion Delegation who will participate in World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome in December and with some of the San Antonio Peace Laureates annually announced by the Peace Center.  Refreshments. 6 pm  Dr. Nagai. UIW Student Engagement Center 2031-2032, 4301 Broadway, SA 78209. Register here and indicate the 5:30 pm. session.

Writing Is the Fuel for Hope

Oct. 21, 12 noon, Dubuis Lawn

Writing Is the Fuel for Hope: Join the students from Dr. Josh Robbins' Writing As Resistance class for a poetry reading, harnessing the power of language in performance to effect change, inspire, and call our community into action and empathy. Students will read their work and attendees will have space to share their own words of resistance. 

 Nuclear War, the Forgotten Conversation  

Oct. 27,  4:30 to 5:45 pm, Admin 365

A panel with Paul Andrews, Bishop Trevor Alexander, UIW Chaplain and Religious Studies professor, and Dr. Paul Lewis, UIW Philosophy professor. Shared with the Philosophy of Science and Technology course.  Paul Andrews is currently doing research and writing on young people’s fear in light of nuclear proliferation. “The threat of nuclear Armageddon, a constant worry for many who grew up during the tense decades of the Cold War, is becoming a cause for concern for a growing number of young people,” according to the United Nations.

 

40^th Anniversary Peace Day, October 28, 2026, Wednesday

As Incarnate Word celebrates 40 years of Peace Days, it is a leader organizing youth for the “Charter for Compassion Delegation” going to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome. Some of those young people will be in conversation with Dr. Nagai, Oct. 20, 5:30 pm.

“ ‘Peace as a Way of Life,’ the first Peace Fair, October 4, 1986.  People were invited to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Peace and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, who cherished God’s creation and modeled reconciliation. Fifteen workshop sessions and dramatic and musical performances were shared and a center piece of the gathering was the ceremony ‘Choose Life’ marking the formal announcement of the Peace and Justice Studies Graduate Program and the dedication of the Peace Pole monument. The Peace and Justice Graduate program was an interdisciplinary approach to analyzing the complex issues of violence and inequity in the world. Dr. Louis Agnese, the Incarnate Word President, Dr. Amy Freeman Lee, the President of the Board of Trustees, and Sr. Dot Ettling, the Superior General of the IW Sisters spoke. Chikae Ishikawa donated the Peace Pole with an inscription in four languages, “May peace prevail on earth,” to Incarnate Word. The monument connects us with the Society of Prayer for World Peace, a non-denominational organization founded in 1955 by Masahisa Goi in Japan, which had seen the ravages of nuclear bombings bringing on-going disease and death. Encouraged by the society, over 200,000 peace pole monuments have been placed in 180 countries. Dr. Agnese’s letter of gratitude to Mr. Ishikawa said, ‘the Peace Pole [the current pole is in front of the Brackenridge Villa] . . . is a very meaningful new symbol on campus, a reminder of the College’s mission of service in a world of peace, and the need for prayer and constant efforts to make peace a reality in our own lives, and the lives of others.’ Many bishops, rabbis, and other religious leaders sent letters of congratulations to Incarnate Word for having such a monument that publicly invites people to prayer, reconciliation, and active peacemaking.”             From https://www.uiw.edu/PeaceDay/_docs/peaceday-barnes-kirk.pdf 

 

All Peace Day presentations are in the Student Engagement Center 2040 – 2041 at the University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209,  and are hybrid except the 12 noon to 1:15 pm which is on the SEC porch and in the Community Garden. Learning and sharing peace, justice, and care for creation serves the world.  Register for service credit and if you cannot attend physically and for the virtual link.

Nuclear War, the Forgotten Conversation 

Oct. 28, 9 – 10:15 am, SEC 2040 -2041

 A panel with Paul Andrews, Bishop Trevor Alexander, UIW Chaplain and Religious Studies professor, and Dr. Paul Lewis, UIW Philosophy professor. Shared with the Religious Studies “Word in the World” Class.  Paul Andrews is currently doing research and writing on young people’s fear in light of nuclear proliferation. “The threat of nuclear Armageddon, a constant worry for many who grew up during the tense decades of the Cold War, is becoming a cause for concern for a growing number of young people,” according to the United Nations.

Listening to the Voices of the Cuban People

10:30 to 11:45 am SEC 2040 -2041

Jovanni Reyes, MA in International Relations from Troy University and a leader in About Face, Veterans Against War,  visited Cuba April 26 to May 8 to deliver much-needed medicine, given that the American blockade has tightened with the intention of starving the Cuban population into submission. Additionally, not a single drop of oil has been allowed to enter the country since January 2026 causing great suffering. Note a UN statement on the human rights violations that the oil blockade has caused.  

Daily Food, Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution

12 Noon – 1:10 pm, SEC Porch and the Community Garden

Free lunch on the SEC Porch and free dessert in the Community Garden between the Dreeben Education Building and Clement Residence Hall. The UIW Nutrition Department and the Student Dietetic Association led by Heather Frazier, PhD, RDN, LD, will share delicious food and fig sweets (by the fig tree in the garden) as they educate us on food that is healthy for the planet and healthy for us.  Our daily food can be a celebration of creation and of the Creator or  further waste the resources of our Common Home, the Earth.

 The Holocaust  1933-1945 by Dr. Roger C. Barnes

1:30 – 2:45 pm  SEC 2040 -2041

This presentation about the Holocaust describes the Nazi persecution of Jews and others during the reign of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.  There is a concluding emphasis on the six extermination camps that were in Poland. Dr. Barnes is professor emeritus of sociology at UIW.  His trips to Holocaust sites have taken him to Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, and Ukraine. He frequently writes columns for the San Antonio Express-News.

“TLC--Talk, Listen, Connect” Compassion Transformation Institute

3 pm – 4:45 pm.  SEC 2040 -2041

What if the most powerful tool for healing division, loneliness, and polarization was something profoundly simple? Talk. Listen. Connect.  The Charter for Compassion in pilot training with nearly 100 participants from around the world, found that in small groups and brief conversations, strangers found common ground. People shared what they loved. Others listened—deeply. And in those moments, community began to form.  The science is clear:  1. Strong social relationships reduce mortality risk more effectively than smoking cessation, alcohol moderation, diet, exercise, or blood pressure treatment. 2. The 80+ year Harvard Study of Adult Development confirms that strong relationships are the single greatest predictor of long-term happiness and well-being. 3. Human evolution is not simply “survival of the fittest,” but survival of the most connected.  TLC reclaims this truth. Kindness, compassion, and connection are not soft ideals.  They are biologically wired strengths.  Learn more of the institute here.  The process will be led by Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D., Coordinator of the Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative of the Charter for Compassion.

 

INSPIRES Index, a Measure and a Motivator

5 - 6 pm SEC 2040 -2041

Through the ages religions have been some of the greatest contributors to peace, but also some of the greatest contributors to conflicts.  The Interfaith, Spiritual, Religious, and Secular Campus Climate Index, or INSPIRES Index is an assessment tool that measures, evaluates, and represents a campus’ efforts towards and commitment to establishing a welcoming climate for students of multiple worldviews. The Index was created using data gathered through the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS).  UIW has been an INSPIRES Campus Partner reflecting, assessing, and committing ourselves to ongoing improvement.  Come join in conversation in regard to the seven areas: Academic Engagement, Religious Accommodations , Space for Support and Expression, Institutional Structures, Institutional Behavior, Efforts to Reduce Negative Engagement, and Extracurricular Engagement.  How are we and how can we improve?   

Earth's Greatest Enemy, a film by Abby Martin  

7 pm SEC 2040 -2041

Join About Face South Texas for a screening and discussion of Abby Martin’s documentary, Earth’s Greatest Enemy. The film examines the environmental impact of the U.S. military, connecting pollution and contamination near San Antonio’s former Kelly Air Force Base with the broader consequences of military operations around the world. Bring friends for a conversation about militarism, environmental harm, and the communities affected. See the trailer.  Co-sponsored by Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, the Southwest Workers Union, and Oppressed Revolutionaries for Worker Power.   Contact: Jovanni Reyes <jovanni@aboutfaceveterans.org>

 Gratitude to our exhibitors

 See these exhibits and more in the UIW Student Engagement Center Concourse:

 About Face, Veterans Against War  South Texas with Veteran Tony Allevato, Veteran Chaplain Renee Sinicki, and Veteran Jovanni Reyes
 Bexar County--Moms Demand Action 

Pax Christi and Laudato Si, Catholic voices for peace and for sustainability

Charter for Compassion and Artistic Bridges  

Love over Hatred: October 10 World Day Against Death Penalty

 

"The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person. The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment: effective systems of detention have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption." #NoDeathPenalty

- Pope Leo XIV

Prayer to End Death Penalty from United States Conference of Bishops:

Merciful Father, we ask your blessing on all we do to build a culture of life. Hear our prayers for those impacted by the death penalty.

We pray for all people, that their lives and dignity as children of a loving God may be respected and protected in all stages and circumstances.

We pray for victims of violence and their families, that they may experience our love and support and find comfort in your compassion and in the promise of eternal life.

We pray for those on death row, that their lives may be spared, that the innocent may be freed and that the guilty may come to acknowledge their faults and seek reconciliation with you.

We pray for the families of those who are facing execution, that they may be comforted by your love and compassion.

We pray for civic leaders, that they may commit themselves to respecting every human life and ending the use of the death penalty in our land.

Compassionate Father, give us wisdom and hearts filled with your love. Guide us as we work to end the use of the death penalty and to build a society that truly chooses life in all situations.

We ask this Father through your Son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Amen

Connect with Catholic Mobilizing Network to Support the Ministry of Love, Compassion, Restorative Justice and build a society based on love instead of hatred.

Read here for more information on the Catholic Mobilizing Network Prayer, Advocacy, and Action..

Compassion and Peace in the Abrahamic Traditions: A Panel of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Voices

As part of the Campaign Nonviolence Call To Action Days, these panelists united with over 2,200 groups around the world revealing that nonviolence is more effective and less expensive than violence. https://paceebene.org/action-days  The human species has survived because people choose to compassionately care for others, to let the suffering of others make a claim on us. www.CharterForCompassion.org 

A deep level of respect and understanding emerged as each panelist shared. They were joined by young people, Alejandro Desuque Yafel, Sinai Krigel-Armstrong, and Anna Mayorga, committed to co-creating a better world who are going to be part of the World Summit of Nobel PeaceLaureates in Rome the first week of December. (You can support these young leaders at that link.) 

People who were strangers a few months ago now feel that they have common hopes and dreams. Wisdom from the Bible, from Abraham Heschel, from the Quran, from Martin Luther King, Jr. and Fetullah Gulen was shared.  The importance of women in developing a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world was emphasized.  Jewish Women Wage Peace and Palestinian Women of the Sun together promote "The Mother's Call" an urgent cry that no child should be raised to kill or be killed.  Please join them by signing https://mothers-call.org/ 

Abraham Heschel writes of letting the suffering of others make a claim on us.  That builds our compassion.  Islam promotes the wisdom of Moses, of Jesus, and of Mohamed. We need each other.

 About the panelists:

Sue Parsons says, “I was raised Christian by New England (Maine) parents of Puritan heritage. I chose progressive Judaism 35 years ago. My degrees are in Russian language and literature, Second Language Acquisition, and library science. My teaching career in academia lasted twenty years followed by librarianship for twenty years. I just retired. I speak English, Russian, and some Swedish. I lived in Sweden in 1976/77 and the USSR 1981-82. I have three grown children, four grandsons, and a 16 year-old cockapoo.

Tamar Krigel-Armstrong originally from Israel is active in the US Supporters of Women Wage Peace. She promotes dialogue in the northern California area. 

Iman Beytullah Colak, is of Kurdish origin and a citizen of Turkey, Argentina and USA. Working and volunteering last 25 years in different capacities for the peace and interfaith relations. I am married and have two boys. I studied Islamic theology in Izmir. I speak Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish and English.

Sister Martha Ann Kirk is an educator at the University of the Incarnate Word and also the Coordinator of the Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative of www.CharterForCompassion.org.   She is seeking young leaders 18 to 35 to be considering for participating in the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome the first week of December.  Now is the time to apply  https://uiw.givepulse.com/event/898401-Nobel-Peace-Laureate-Summit-Dec.-1-4-in-Rome

This panel is part of an ongoing conversation linked with the Charter for Compassion, the Mother's Call with Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun, the Hizmet movement, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative --- all positively acting for a less violent, more unified, loving world.  

We encourage young leaders to participate in the "Best Social Change" competition supported by the Nobel Laureates Secretariat and the Vatican.  Proposals are due Oct. 15.  The ten best proposals will be shared in the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates and one will be chosen for a $10,000 prize to help implement it.  

This flier links on the competition links to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEmwRQjOkuuhN6OBqvLlT82b7o8K5rRdYls9H3PfOto3bsSw/viewform?pli=1

For more information contact: Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D., Coordinator of the Compassionate Colleges and Universities Initiative,  Charter for Compassion   kirk@uiwtx.edu   Cell: 210-883-5934   

RSVP - Calling Young People, Nature Lovers, Humble and Indigenous for Season of Creation with Mass Oct 4 11am and Synodal Listening on Oct 4 12:30 PM

 

Human Dignity in Civic Engagement

 A Virtual Catholic Theological Conference in Preparation for the Upcoming Elections

Wednesday September 16th
&
Thursday September 17th 

4pm-6:30pmPT | 7pm-9:30pmET

“Catholic teaching does not baptize any particular model of democracy.  For decades, however, Catholic teaching has embraced democratic governance as the best way of institutionalizing the core values at the heart of Catholic teaching: human dignity, religious freedom, shared public life, and the participation of all in the civic sphere.”

Register here:

https://dornsife.usc.edu/iacs/participation-dignity-elections/

Mass for Creation for United States Approved by the Holy See

The United States Church is very blessed to receive the approval of the USCCB Mass for Creation for English and Spanish from the Holy See.  Last year, Pope Leo XIV himself celebrated the First Mass for Creation on July 9, 2025.  The newly approved Mass for Creation for United States church is now available for use given the formulary and the lectionary which can be found in the USCCB website.  We thank all the Arch/Bishops and the faithful for supporting the cause to advocate for the mass that is available for the church in this part of the world.

Why is it important to celebrate the Feast of Creation?  We are creatures and we are not God.  All of the things on heaven and on earth belongs to our Creator.  As people of God, we are people of rituals. We move in habits.  We wake up in the morning according to what help us to move from one phase to another.  Some start their day in prayer, some start their day making coffee, some people start their day taking a bath and sing!  When we move in phases, our body gets prepared for what is to come or what state of the day are we in.  When someone is born, we gather and bless the baby and after a few weeks for Catholics, we baptize the baby to formally welcome him or her into our society of Christian faith that we believe exist in both heaven and earth.  We are people of ritual.  Through rituals, we function as one.  We unite ourselves towards a common awareness, function, and mission.  We feel, we move, we belong to each other by a common ritual.  What a blessing to be united with our Creator through the Eucharistic celebration with the awareness of our Creator as the center of our being. 

In this day and age, where there is a challenge not to be overwhelmed by the demands of our responsibilities, the desires of the world, the false needs of having more of the materials than having less but depth of meaning and relationships, we are called to go back to our roots.  We are called to connect to our Creator.  God created everything and he was pleased with everything which includes the evening and the morning (Gen 1:31).  Indeed, there is a time for everything.  God created the world in phases.  Every time God created and finished, God pause at the Creation and was please with it,

We are created in the image and likeness of God.  There is a time for everything.  We do not do everything all at once.  There is a power in reflecting, moving from one phase to another.

This is an invitation to all the Arch/Bishops, pastors and priests to pause and honor our Creator through the Mass for Caring for Creation.  

This year's Season of Creation that starts from September 1 and ends on October 4 is an opportunity to celebrate this liturgy to be mindful that we depend on God's Creation and more importantly we depend on our Creator who entrusted to us the care of our brothers and sisters.  We pause to contemplate that we are creatures and human being is not the Creator.  The Word of God care for all that are visible and invisible, and we are united as one through prayers, contemplation and actions.   We build relationships through time and through this Season of Creation, we are intentionally offering our prayers for the heaven and earth that holds us.  This year's season of creation is inspired by Ezekiel 47: 1- 12 which is for the whole church to contemplate having water as the literal source of life.  Given the ecological crisis where drought is the reality in a lot of cities of our world, we are called to be mindful of our practices that deplete our water source.  How is God calling us to ecological conversion?

In this Jubilee Year of Saint Francis, we are especially called to feel for our brother Earth, Sister Moon, Brother Trees, Brother Fire, Sister Water and all that we can see bearing in mind that God was pleased with them.  This year is another good example of using the Mass for Creation, knowing that Saint Francis is a man of peace who treated everything as his sister and brother.  Our World needs to be connected to a man of peace, Saint Francis and Christ, the Prince of our Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

How do we take care of our brother or sister?  How do you take care of your loved one?  We are bridges and we are peacemakers through the heart formed by our Creator as the center of our being.  We are called to love.  We are called to be nothing but to be made for love, the love of Christ who has given everything.

Reference:

Catholic Climate Covenant - Mass for Creation Explanation

USCCB Mass for Creation

When to use of the Mass for Creation

Mass for Creation on July 9, 2025 by Pope Leo XIV

Feast of Creation in Christ - World Christians

Season of Creation

Jubilee Year of Saint Francis

800th Anniversary of Canticle of the Creature

Evolution of Rituals