St. Peter's and Seekers to present Radical Christian Life Dec. 7 to 9

Thanks to a technological partnership with Trinity Institute in New York City, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Second and Markets streets in Lewes, will present Trinity Institute’s 42nd National Theological Conference, Radical Christian Life: Equipping Ourselves for Social Change, with Joan Chittister, OSB, via webcast at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7 and at  1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8.  At 11 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 9, Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM will preach at Trinity Church. This, too, will be webcast to St. Peter’s.

In the 21st century, people seek to cope in a world that is shifting on its very foundations. Economic inequity threatens to tear society apart at the seams.

According to Joan Chittister, OSB, “Our task is now to be radical Christian communities in the here and now, not fossils of a bygone reality, not leftovers from an earlier golden age. Now we need new wisdom and a new kind of struggle to determine what we must be and do in the midst of these changing times. The question is then: What does it mean to be a radical Christian community in times such as these?

Chittister will offer tools for making the vital connection between contemplation and social action. Participants will explore such questions as:

• How can Christian traditions of social justice and contemplation energize communities as forces for positive change in the world?

• What practices help to discern where to engage?

• Where are the sources of creativity and resilience within one's faith tradition?

• How can one work in partnership with those of other faiths and no faith?

A member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pa., where she served as prioress for 12 years, Sister Chittister is an author and lecturer. She also writes a web column for the National Catholic Reporter, "From Where I Stand." Chittister holds a master's degree from the University of Notre Dame and a doctoral degree in speech communication theory from Penn State University. She writes and speaks on women in the church and society, human rights, and peace and justice in the areas of war and poverty and religious life and spirituality. She is the founder of "Benetvision.” Her public presentations are announced on the Benetvision website.

She has authored more than 45 books and has articles in various journals and magazines including: America, US Catholic, Sojourners, Spirituality (Dublin) and The Tablet (London). She is a contributor to NCRonline.org. She has 13 Catholic Press Association awards, the most recent being three in June 2012 for her books "The Monastery of the Heart" and "Happiness."

Fr. Jeffrey A. Ross, rector of St. Peter’s says, “We are the only webcast partner for this conference in Delaware. Now that the technology is available to us, we are pleased to be able to offer to our local community conferences of this caliber, with nationally recognized presenters. We hope this is the first of many to come.”

This conference is free of charge, but everyone is urged to register by contacting St. Peter’s church office, at 302-645- 8479, since space is limited. Plan to arrive on time as the speakers will begin promptly.

For more information about St. Peter’s, go to www.stpeterslewes.org, or phone the office. For more information about Seekers, go to www.seekerslewes.com or call 302-645-9916.