Professor discusses nurturing peace locally

The speaker offered four steps to nurture peace in the Mahoning Valley.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Sister Mary McCormick, keynote speaker at the 20th annual Interfaith Prayer Breakfast Tuesday addressed the topic, "Seeking Shalom ... Discovering Peace," with an approach rooted in Scripture.
The assistant professor of systematic theology at St. Mary's Seminary in Cleveland spoke to members of the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches at the ecumenical event held at the Maronite Center. She began with a humorous story about an outing in Cleveland.
Sister Mary said she was scheduled to speak at St. Christopher Church but was having trouble finding it. Seeing three children nearby, she asked directions. As the two older ones pondered the question, a younger girl asked why she wanted to go to the church. Sister Mary said she responded that she was to give a talk on finding peace. The young girl asked her how she thought she could find peace when she couldn't find the church.
Sister Mary remarked about the "insight of a child" and noted the difficulty of that task for all of God's people.
Gift of life
She asked if we will ever find shalom or are we destined to be frustrated? Sister Mary said during this week, with the Thanksgiving Day holiday, people should reflect on the gift of life and the bounty of the United States.
"On good days, it's easy to be thankful for life here. On bad days, we might think of disease, death and the basic unfairness of life," she said. Wondering "is this all there is" might be our feeling, she said.
Sister Mary admitted that sometimes people are "marked by profound cynicism" and "led by selfishness." But she continued, "There is a presence to be known that cannot be known by reason alone.
"We are motivated by a sense of being whole and healthy," she said, and cited Jeremiah 29:4-7 and 10-14. The gist of the verses is Israel in exile and how Jeremiah suggests that the exiled people "see the shalom in the city of exile" by building houses, getting married, having children, buying food and so on. "In the city's shalom, you shall find your own shalom," she said.
Four steps
"Embrace all creations in one's own community," she urged, offering these steps to nurture shalom in the Mahoning Valley:
UCurb your cynicism. "Don't allow yourself to give in to it," she said.
UPractice active faithfulness. "Be a faithful witness to your faith. Be of service to the poor," she said.
UPray. "Make me an instrument of peace," she said, referring to a prayer from St. Francis of Assisi.
UActively participate in community life. "We share concerns about the war, gas prices, health care, safety and ecumenical incentives. There are reasons for fear and it is a time of crisis," she said. "There is an expression of new hope ... new energy and enthusiasm ... with a new mayor. This is an opportunity to nurture shalom."
Elsie Dursi, executive director of the MVAC, was mistress of ceremonies. Youngstown Councilman Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, introduced the speaker, who is a member of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown and lives in Youngstown. She earned a doctorate from Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y., and holds a bachelor's in education from Youngstown State University. She also has degrees from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and Loyola University in New Orleans.
Program participants were the Rev. Joyce Lawson, president of the MVAC board; Elliot Legow of Congregation Rodef Shalom; Dr. Ahalya Krishnan of the Hindu Temple; and Atkinson of Tabernacle Baptist Church. St. Luke Children's Choir, directed by Veronica Ceraolo, provided entertainment.