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On the morning of Saturday, March 7, students, faculty, and faith leaders converged on Loyola University Chicago’s Lake Shore Campus with a timely goal: learning to build peace.
The “International Encounter for Peace and Reconciliation,” hosted by the Hank Center for The Catholic Intellectual Heritage and the Institute of Pastoral Studies, brought together voices from across faith traditions for a day of dialogue, prayer, and reflection in the synodal spirit.
The tone of the event was set by a special message of hope from Pope Leo XIV to participants:
“In this spirit, we are called to foster a culture of reconciliation capable of overcoming the globalization of powerlessness, which tempts us to believe that an era free of conflict is unattainable. Moreover, we must remember that prayer is also a powerful force for reconciliation. When people of different religious traditions come together in prayer, it has the power to change the course of history.”
Following the message from the Vatican, Archdiocese of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich welcomed the gathering with prayer and his own message, which was shared widely for its direct denouncement of war.
“The longer we remain blind to the terrible consequences of war, the more we are risking the most precious gift God gave us: our humanity,” Cupich said.
When people of different religious traditions come together in prayer, it has the power to change the course of history.
— Pope Leo XIV
Through panel discussions, breakout groups, an interactive plenary, and Mass, participants explored how to promote peace, focusing on topics such as migration, economy, and technology.
The event also featured addresses by Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and Bishop Oscar Cantú, Diocese of San Jose. Unable to attend in person, Rev. Sr. Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, undersecretary of the general secretariat of the Synod, and Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, OSA, secretary general of CELAM, sent video messages to the assembly. Cardinal Filippo Iannone, O.Carm, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, sent a letter encouraging participants to continue with the Building Bridges Initiative promoting peace worldwide.
The “International Encounter for Peace and Reconciliation“ was part of Loyola’s Building Bridges Initiative, a student-centered and University-organized series of events inspired by Pope Francis’s call for shared discernment. The Initiative facilitates the creation of student groups across large geographic regions, accompanying those students as they engage in listening, dialogue, and discernment.
