Martin Cominsky and Daniel Cardinal Dinardo

Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Inter-religious Dialogue Symposium

Date: March 27, 2008

A successful first-ever Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Inter-religious Dialogue Symposium brought together 150 clergy, community and political leaders in an effort to understand "The Roots of Dialogue and Peacemaking in Sacred Texts and Traditions: Contemporary Implications for Judaism, Christianity and Islam."

The all-day symposium was sponsored by the Center for Faith & Culture at the University of St. Thomas, the Anti-Defamation League and its Coalition for Mutual Respect and Community of Respect Program, and the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue. Keynote speakers included distinguished religious and faith leaders Rabbi Samuel E. Karff, Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel, Fr. Thomas Michel, Secretary of the Jesuit Secretariat for Interreligious Dialogue, and Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo welcomed the participants who attended the symposium at the University of St. Thomas on March 5.

The following day, Rabbi Karff, Fr. Michel and Dr. Ahmed spoke on the same topic to a gathering of Houston's Consular Corps. Special remarks were also given by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, and Ambassador Edward Djerejian, Director, James A. Bakker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.