NEWS

With the arrival of a new year, we are given a chance to begin again, connected in God’s faithfulness and strengthened by hope for what lies ahead.

On January 16, 1863, Lewis Thomas Wattson — the future Fr. Paul Wattson, SA — was born in Millington, Maryland, to an Episcopal minister and his wife. No one could have imagined that this child, raised within the Anglican tradition, would one day become a Roman Catholic priest and a prophetic voice calling all Christians to unity.

As we near the end of 2025 – this “Ecumenical Year” in which so many major anniversaries are being celebrated and the future of interchurch and interreligious peacebuilding is coming into focus as increasingly urgent – Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII) has been hard at work on new initiatives and partnerships that are already bearing fruit.

This past October, Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII), a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, hosted two inspiring installments of the Paul Wattson Lecture Series, continuing a tradition of interreligious dialogue and theological reflection that honors the legacy of Servant of God Father Paul Wattson, SA.

There is a well-known novella written by Charles Dickens in the mid-19th century titled “A Christmas Carol.” It’s a timeless story that most of us know well, retold again and again on stage and on screen over the years.

In recent weeks, members of Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII) had the privilege of participating in two significant events that reflect the vibrant and evolving landscape of Christian unity in the United States.

Did you know that the founder of the Francsican Friars of the Atonement, Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson, SA, was originally an Episcopal priest?

November can often feel like a dull, quiet month. It’s that stretch of gray days after Halloween and before Christmas. But if we pause and look closer, we’ll find that November is filled with meaning and opportunities to celebrate, pray, and give thanks.

Like all members of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, Father Ken Cienik, SA, follows St. Francis of Assisi’s example of selfless ministry to the poor and suffering. Fr. Ken shares something else with the great saint: He has seen the battlefield.