CLINTON — Sisters of St. Francis, sojourners, associates and employees of The Canticle who participated in a two-day peacemaking workshop heard this message: “Nonviolence is effective, and the more we study the life of Jesus, the more we’ll be filled with that power.”
Terrence Rynne, a peace studies teacher at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and founder of the university’s Center for Peacemaking, shared that message during the July 21-22 workshop at The Canticle.
In addition to his academic career, Rynne is the author of “Gandhi and Jesus: The Saving Power of Nonviolence” and “Jesus Christ, Peacemaker: A New Theology of Peace.” He is also co-president of the Sally and Terry Rynne Foundation, which he and his wife spearheaded in dedication to peacemaking and the empowerment of women.
Rynne discussed his book, “Jesus Christ, Peacemaker,” which traces the history of nonviolence and peacemaking from the Old Testament to present day and challenges Catholics to see themselves as vehicles of peacemaking. He recited a section of the book: “The Catholic Church numbers 1.2 billion people. Imagine the impact the Catholic Church could have if it articulated a theology of peace that reached and mobilized its members throughout the world, if every student graduating from a Catholic school and every Christian in the pews saw himself or herself, first and foremost, as a peacemaker and felt equipped to act as peacemaker and a peace builder . . . in other countries, such as the Philippines and Malaysia, the Catholic Church is actively collaborating with Muslims and people of other faiths to hold and build the peace.”
Sister Hilary Mullany enjoyed the workshop, saying, “I thought his talk was excellent. He covers the territory of the history and development and the idea of peace and peacemaking, but what I love about his delivery is that he is so wedded to the purpose of that book, which is to bring Christians really into the age of peacemaking as it is described in the Gospel stories.