The Cathedral of
Hope and the grassroots organization Hope for Peace
& Justice will break ground on the Philip
Johnson-designed Interfaith Peace Chapel this
coming Sunday in a special service.
The 175-seat
chapel is meant to serve as a bold statement of the
Dallas-based organizations' commitment to peace and
interfaith dialogue and cooperation. The building will
be open to congregations of various faiths as well as
seekers of peace who claim no particular faith group.
It will also serve to provide sharp contrast to the George
W. Bush Library, to be built a short distance away on
the campus of Southern Methodist University.
The Cathedral of
Hope is the world's largest liberal Christian church
with a primary outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender people. Its local and national church
ministries, outreach programs, pastoral counseling,
Web site (www.cathedralofhope.com), and television
media touch thousands of lives each day. Hope for
Peace & Justice empowers progressive people of
faith to be champions for peace and justice. The
organization seeks to give voice to principles such as the
creation of a culture of peace rather than war; equal
rights for all people, not just the majority; and
education as a means of societal transformation rather
than economic separation.
The
groundbreaking is timed to coincide with the 20th
anniversary of the Reverend Michael Piazza's
installation as the church's senior pastor. Piazza,
who now serves as dean of the cathedral as well as president
of Hope for Peace & Justice, was senior
pastor for 16 years before retiring in 2003. A
special reception will be held in his honor after the
service.
The service will
take place Sunday, November 11, at 3 p.m. The Cathedral
of Hope is located at 5910 Cedar Springs Road in Dallas. The
service is free and open to all. (The Advocate)
