E-Letters | Archives | FAQs | Walking God’s Paths | Board Room
©Copyright Center for Catholic-Jewish  Studies 2009, All Rights Reserved

Mission Statement:

“Building mutual respect, understanding, and appreciation among Jews, Catholics, and all people of good will by providing opportunities for interfaith education and dialogue.”

Sponsoring Partners:

Saint Leo University

American Jewish
Committee

Friends of the Center:

 

Diocese of Saint Petersburg

 

Florida Holocaust Museum

 

The Florida Catholic – Venice Edition by Heather Felton

(Venice, Fla.—September 16, 2004)

It’s all about promoting understanding between the people of two faiths.

This summer, Catholics and Jews came together in a spirit of openness to share and learn through a new program called “Walking God’s Paths.”

 

Designed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as a 10-week video program to promote congregational dialogue between Catholics and Jews, the program succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations, bringing together representatives of two Venice area congregations—Epiphany Cathedral Parish and the Jewish Community Center of Venice—in a way that may prove to be the foundation for future dialogue elsewhere in the diocese.

 

Pat Macaulay, a parishioner at St. Martha Parish, Sarasota, became involved in the program as a member of the Bishop's Committee on Catholic/Jewish relations, responding to the invitation of the former associate director of the diocesan Ecumenism and Interfaith Office to “take it on as a summer project to make sure this dialogue initiative bore fruit instead of withering on the vine,” he said.

 

As a result, parishioners of the Epiphany Cathedral Parish and members of the congregation of the Jewish Community Center of Venice were invited to come together to participate in the program, which provides a series of short video clips and discussion points.

 

Gladys Cole, of Epiphany Cathedral, was asked to facilitate the program between the Jewish Community Center and Epiphany Cathedral.

“The film was very instructive and gave a well-balanced view, from the Christian perspective and the Jewish perspective, about how we view issues in each other's religion,” she said.

 

Anne Morgan, also from Epiphany Cathedral, said the greatest benefit of the program was in developing a greater understanding of present day Jewish thoughts and practices, as well as misconceptions held by both faiths.

“These discussions were very open to expressing opinions and understandings on both Jewish and Christian (Catholic) members in a very non-threatening way,” Morgan said. “Even though I have had many very good Jewish friends, we have not entered into faith sharing conversations and I did not realize that there are many misconstrued concepts on both sides.”

 

TIris Blankman, of the Jewish Community Center, agreed. “We have as many misconceptions and as many prejudices as everyone,” she said. “I think its time we put it all out there and talk about it…. It’s about the breaking down of myths.”

 

“We’re really going to break these walls down,” add Joel Kreiss, also of the Jewish Community Center. “This is the sledge hammer that could break down the walls.”  CONTINUED