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 40th 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.
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 800th
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 250th 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 250th 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 250th Anniversary:
250 service hours for the 250th
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.
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
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.
40th
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.
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
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>
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
