Father Jim Loughran, SA, was interviewed for a story in America Magazine, which detailed the history of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and the elegance of Graymoor.
The rich history of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and the beauty of Graymoor was recently featured in one of the country’s oldest and renowned Christian publications.
America Magazine ran a story on January 20, which not only detailed the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement’s role in the worldwide ecumenical and interfaith movement, but painted a unique picture of Graymoor.
Author Doug Girardot visited the Holy Mountain in December, and interviewed Father Jim Loughran, SA, the Vicar General of the Friars of the Atonement and First Councilor and Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute. Their discussion covered everything from the founding of the Friars of the Atonement by Father Paul Wattson, SA, and Mother Lurana White, SA, to the Friars’ creation of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
The article explains how Father Paul fought for integration among Christians, and began the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 1908. Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which originally started as the Church Unity Octave, is now celebrated each year across the world in the month of January.
What’s more, the story describes in elegant detail many different corners of the Graymoor campus. Girardot points out the majesty of the Our Lady of the Atonement Chapel, with its distinguished red carpet and signature portrait of Christ behind the altar. He highlights Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, with its old-fashioned wooden pews and comfortable ambience.
He mentions the Saint Francis Chapel, which contains the altar at which Saint Francis of Assisi received the stigmata. The Chapel also includes a statue of Saint Francis, with its face based on one of his two existing death masks.
America Magazine was founded in 1909 and is published weekly by the Jesuits of the United States. The publication mainly features Catholic reports and news, and how the faith relates to American life. To read the full article, click here.