International Peacemaker Kicks Off 2015-16 Shannon Lecture Series, Sept. 10 & 11
Internationally recognized voice for peace and non-violence, John Dear will present Disarming the Heart, Disarming the World: The Peacemaker’s Work Today on Thursday, September 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the Forum of the Otto A. Shults Center. Dear will also present Peace Be With You: Practicing Nonviolence in a World of Violence and War on Friday, September 11th at 1:30 p.m. in the Linehan Chapel of the Golisano Academic Center. His experiences working as a Red Cross coordinator for chaplains during 9/11 will allow him to shed new light on this day of remembrance. Both lectures are free and open to the public. Nazareth College is located at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y., 14618. For further information, please contact Christine M. Bochen at (585) 389-2728 or at cbochen4@naz.edu.
Dear is a priest, pastor, retreat leader, author, and the director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (the largest interfaith peace organization in the U.S.). After September 11, 2001, he was a Red Cross coordinator of chaplains at the Family Assistance Center in New York, where he counseled thousands of relatives and rescue workers. Dear has traveled the war zones of the world, led Nobel Peace prize winners to Iraq, and given thousands of lectures on peace across the U.S. while serving as a pastor of several churches in New Mexico.
Dear has been nominated many times for the Nobel Peace Prize, including nominations from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Senator Barbara Mikulski. He works for Campaign on Violence; he is a priest of the Diocese of Monterey, California., and lives in New Mexico. His most recent books include: Walking the Way: Following Jesus on the Lenten Journey of Gospel Nonviolence to the Cross and Resurrection (2015); Thomas Merton Peacemaker (2015); The Nonviolent Life (2013); and A Persistent Peace: One Man's Struggle for a Nonviolent World (2008).
The Shannon Lecture Series honors William H. Shannon, former professor of religious at Nazareth College. Father Shannon advanced the educational mission of Nazareth College and contributed significantly to Catholic intellectual life, both nationally and internationally.
The 2015-16 William H. Shannon Lecture Series aims to capture the true definition of ‘mercy;’ inspired by the words, actions and writings of Pope Francis, who fittingly has proclaimed a year-long jubilee of Mercy to begin in December 2015. These speakers will reflect on the context of this term in their work and daily lives. Our lecturers do not shy away from difficult questions and issues; rather, they confront the problems and challenges before us with integrity, courage, and mercy, inviting us to do the same.
For More Information
Julie Long, Chief Public Relations Officer, 585-389-2456, jlong2@naz.edu
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
