NEWS

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 completed a busy month of 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.

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.

The 16th Ecclesiological Investigations International Conference was held September 17-20, 2025, in Thessaloniki, Greece, contributing to this year’s many events commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD by the Emperor Constantine I.

On Sunday, October 20, the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement welcomed Bishop Gerardo Colacicco to the Holy Mountain. He celebrated Mass to open the Friars’ Chapter of Mats, an event that dates to St. Francis of Assisi.

The Friars were delighted to see that The Good Newsroom published an article about their annual Blessing of the Animals at Graymoor ahead of the Feast of St. Francis.