First woman to lead the Vatican City speaks at Nazareth University’s Interfaith Centennial Summit, April 6
Pope Francis recently named Sister Raffaella Petrini to lead the governing body of Vatican City. Nazareth University is hosting her only public lecture of 2025. Sr. Petrini, Ph.D., took over as the head of Vatican City in March 2025 and she travels from Italy to speak at Nazareth’s Interfaith Centennial Summit on Sunday, April 6. She will join two other renowned women scholars, Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, president of Hebrew College in Massachusetts; and Najeeba Syeed, J.D., a human rights lawyer and inaugural El-Hibri endowed chair and executive director of Interfaith at Augsburg University.
Nazareth students will introduce the trio of women scholars, who will present Jewish, Christian, and Muslim perspectives on topics significant to our current world: peacebuilding in times of crisis, fostering a leadership of care, and extending compassion.
Sr. Raffaella’s visit to Rochester for the Summit comes two years after Nazareth students visited Rome and met with her at the Vatican. She was so impressed by the students that she promised them she would come to Nazareth University. Some students on that trip will be reunited with Petrini at the summit.
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Julie Long | Chief PR Officer | jlong2@naz.edu | (585) 389-2456 | (585) 781-8186 (cell)
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for 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.
