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An upcoming talk in memory of Elie Wiesel, a famed author, Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, will be co-sponsored by the Jewish/Roman Catholic Dialogue Committee of the Albany Diocese, the diocesan Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York.

The Jewish/Catholic Dialogue Committee promotes conversations about the related history of the Jewish and Catholic people, striving to bond the faiths through educational talks and other events.

Mr. Wiesel passed away in early July of this year.

Rev. Thomas Morrette is pastor of All Saints on the Hudson parish in Mechanicville/Stillwater and co-chair of the Jewish/ Catholic Dialogue Committee. Father Morrette will open the Dec. 1 event at Maria College in Albany with a presentation on the life of Mr. Wiesel.

"He was a spokesperson for the story of the Holocaust and the barbarity of it," Father Morrette told The Evangelist. "He's been a constant reminder of where prejudice and racism lead."

"I hope it will tone down the rhetoric, post-election," remarked Rev. James Kane, chair of the ecumenical commission, referring to vitriol among opposing parties in the run-up to and wake of the U.S. presidential election.

Father Morrette believes it's appropriate to dedicate the interfaith event to Mr. Wiesel because of the Nobel winner's commitment to educating the public about the Holocaust and connecting faith communities.

"I've been a lifelong student of the Holocaust," Father Morrette said, noting that he finds Mr. Wiesel's writings compelling and relevant in the area of Jewish/Catholic relations.

After Father Morrette's talk, Rabbi David Sandmel will speak on the topic, "Slaying the Dragons of Bigotry: Challenges for Jews and Christians in Today's World."

Rabbi Sandmel is director of interfaith affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, as well as a scholar on the issue of interreligious relations. Father Kane noted that the rabbi is nationally known for his charisma and love of addressing interfaith audiences.

The Albany Diocese itself has a reputation for good interfaith relations since the 1960s' Second Vatican Council. In 1986, the Diocese hosted a historic reconciliation service titled, "From Fear to Friendship," during which then-Bishop Howard J. Hubbard apologized for the Church's past anti-Jewish hostility. Bishop Hubbard and Rabbi Martin Silverman then walked hand in hand through a sculpture titled "Portal," commissioned for the occasion, as a gesture of friendship. The Diocese is believed to be the first one to sponsor such a reconciliation service.

The upcoming interfaith evening is meant to "challenge extremism and religiously-biased remarks," Father Kane stated.[[In-content Ad]]

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