Sowing Peace – Letter from Our Executive Director

Dear Members, Partners, and Friends,

“Peace be with you all!” It was mere months ago that Leo XIV proclaimed these words, his first to the Church as pope, from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. These, he reminded us then, “are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock.”

It seems like an appropriate time to reflect on these words. I, like everyone, was deeply saddened and shaken by the shooting which took place in Minneapolis mere weeks ago, which claimed the lives of two school children and injured eighteen more, as well as injured three elderly parishioners, while celebrating the Holy Mass. Less than three weeks later, a 16-year-old boy in Denver, CO, shot and critically wounded two of his peers before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. On the same day, a well-known political activist was assassinated while speaking at a university campus in Utah. And these are only some of the latest and closest-to-home examples of the violence which racks our word, including countless wars and civil conflicts, only a fraction of which grab international headlines.

In Evangelli Nuntiandi, the 50^th anniversary of which we continue to celebrate with our September webinar series, Pope St. Paul VI noted the work of evangelization must be concerned with “justice, liberation, development and peace in the world” (31). As Rev. Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen, Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union, reminded us our recent Summit on Mission and Evangelization, those first words of Christ referenced by Pope Leo—words we ourselves echo and extend to others during Mass—are no mere greeting: they are an intention of the heart. It is an intention shared across people and faith traditions, from the Jewish “shalom” to the Muslim “salaam alaykum” to the Hindu “om shanti” and beyond.

“Peace,” Pope Leo noted in a message to the recent Conference on Interreligious Dialogue and Harmony in Dhaka, Bangladesh, “not conflict, is our most cherished dream.” As faith leaders committed to the mission or God, the USCMA community cherishes and promotes this dream, as well.

For more of Pope Leo’s thoughts on peace, read his excellent September 12^th address to participants in the 3^rd World Meeting on Human Fraternity.

In mission and solidarity,

Kevin Foy

Executive Director

Other Encounter Updates from September 2025:

Annual Members Meeting
Pan-African Congress Recap
National Pastoral on the Laity
Summit Synthesis Report
Evangelii Nuntiandi Series
World Mission News