October 20, 2024
Thank you for participating in the fall Homily Series! As we strive to integrate Peaceful Dialogue into our everyday practices, the following materials are available below.
“Peaceful Dialogue” Reminders and Resources
- October 5–6: How to begin
Homily Series Fall 2024 – Week 1 Reminders and Resources
- October 12–13: Why bother trying?
Homily Series Fall 2024 – Week 2 Reminders and Resources
Key Catholic documents were shared by Dr. Rita George-Tvrtković, regarding Interreligious Dialogue. Their wisdom can be applied to dialogue on any topic. Click on the links below.
- Nostra Aetate (On the Church’s Relation to Non-Christian Religions, 1965)
- Unitatis Redintegratio(Decree on Ecumenism, 1964)
- Dialogue and Proclamation (On the need to both listen to others share their faith and share our own.) — (1991)
- Fratelli Tutti (Pope Francis’s encyclical on brotherhood, social friendship, and the “culture of encounter,” 2020)
Principles of Dialogue — written by Benedictine University’s Interfaith Cooperation Committee (2019), based on Dr. Leonard Swidler’s Dialogue Decalogue (1982):
- DO engage in dialogue to listen and learn — not to argue.
- DO practice dialogue both inside and outside your own community.
- DO be completely honest — both with yourself and with others.
- DON’T compare your ideals with the other’s realities.
- DO allow the other to define themselves.
- DON’T go in with preconceptions about where disagreements lie.
- DO view everyone as equal partners in the conversation.
- DON’T tackle hot topics before building trust.
- DO be self-critical of your own positions and community.
- DO try to understand the other’s experience, as much as possible.
You can reach Dr. Rita at RGeorge-Tvrtkovic@ben.edu.
Homily Series is a quarterly outreach to the parish and beyond, where we:
- explicitly extend invitations for others to join us at St. Thomas;
- grow in discipleship as a parish, by focusing on one topic together;
- foster community engagement with receptions after each service.
October 13, 2024
Let us go forth from this series considering how we can practice Peaceful Dialogue in our lives. If you missed the messages, you can watch them online here.
Also, the Reminders and Resources documents for each week are available below
“Peaceful Dialogue”
- October 5–6: How to begin
Homily Series Fall 2024 – Week 1 Reminders and Resources
- October 12–13: Why bother trying?
Homily Series Fall 2024 – Week 2 Reminders and Resources
We extend a special thank you to our “Continuing the Conversation” speaker, Dr. Rita George-Tvrtković. You can find her recent book, Christians, Muslims, and Mary: A History, at Paulist Press or via other online vendors.
Homily Series is a quarterly outreach to the parish and beyond, where we:
- explicitly extend invitations for others to join us at St. Thomas;
- grow in discipleship as a parish, by focusing on one topic together;
- foster community engagement with receptions after each service.
October 6, 2024
Our fall Homily Series, Peaceful Dialogue, is under way!
“Peaceful Dialogue”
• October 5–6: How to begin
• October 12–13: Why bother trying?
Do you encounter subjects that seem too contentious to address with friends, colleagues or loved ones? This series aims to assist us in navigating the current challenges of civil discourse in society. Guided by the teachings of Jesus and the traditions of the Church, we will explore ways to engage in discussions on challenging topics and the importance of doing so. We encourage you to invite your friends to participate!
To compliment this series, we have invited Dr. Rita George-Tvrtković to join us Sunday, October 6, at 10:45 am in the Lighthouse. She will deliver a presentation titled “Catholic Perspectives on Interreligious Dialogue.” Dr. George-Tvrtković’s talk will offer us insight into the transferable skill of dialogue that can be applied to many different conversations: intercultural, interracial, interpolitical, etc. All are welcome to attend!
Homily Series is a quarterly outreach to the parish and beyond, where we:
- explicitly extend invitations for others to join us at St. Thomas;
- grow in discipleship as a parish, by focusing on one topic together;
- foster community engagement with receptions after each service.
September 29, 2024
September 15, 2024
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Homily Series:
“Peaceful Dialogue”
- October 5–6: How to begin?
- October 12–13: Why bother trying?
Do you encounter subjects that seem too contentious to address with friends, colleagues or loved ones? This series aims to assist us in navigating the current challenges of civil discourse in society. Guided by the teachings of Jesus and the traditions of the Church, we will explore ways to engage in discussions on challenging topics and the importance of doing so. We encourage you to invite your friends to participate!
To compliment this series, we have invited Dr. Rita George-Tvrtković to join us Sunday, October 6, at 10:45 am in the Lighthouse. She will deliver a presentation titled “Catholic Perspectives on Interreligious Dialogue.” Dr. George-Tvrtković’s talk will offer us insight into the transferable skill of dialogue that can be applied to many different conversations: intercultural, interracial, interpolitical, etc. All are welcome to attend!
Homily Series is a quarterly outreach to the parish and beyond, where we:
- explicitly extend invitations for others to join us at St. Thomas;
- grow in discipleship as a parish, by focusing on one topic together;
- foster community engagement with receptions after each service.