We were thrilled to once again visit St Francis College in Brooklyn with the Peace Run during Franciscan month, celebrating our shared dedication to fostering peace in ourselves and the world around us.
This year is special not only because it is Franciscan Jubilee year, marking the 800th anniversary of St. Francis's writing of "The Canticle of the Creatures", but also because St Francis College is becoming a Sri Chinmoy Peace College!
Our good friend Brother Gregory Cellini, Franciscan Brother of Brooklyn and Director of the Office of Mission, Ministry and Interfaith Dialogue, opened the event with the immortal Prayer for Peace by St. Francis.
St. Francis College President, Tim Cecere, warmly welcomed the Peace Run, highlighting goals and values the College shares with the Peace Run.
He told a very sweet story of how by chance he met Sri Chinmoy when he was just 19 years old! It was late at night at the Flagship Diner, where he happened to be with friends when they saw the great musician Carlos Santana dining with his teacher, Sri Chinmoy. He bravely approached Santana, who enthusiastically introduced him to his dining companion. He marveled at how 40 years later he remembers this moment so clearly and fondly, and the delight of his life path again connecting with Sri Chinmoy so many years later!
Our MC was College Professor, Peace Runner and Event Organizer, Vyavasayaha Anne Bright. We are most grateful to her for taking care of all the details of this event!
In April 1997 Brooklyn became a Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom Borough, and we were greatly honored that nearly 30 years later Brooklyn Borough President, Antonio Reynoso, attended the event. He spoke about Brooklyn’s continued dedication to Unity in Diversity and offered a Proclamation to the College honoring Franciscan Month.
College President, Tim Cecere, gratefully received the beautiful Proclamation.
Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run Executive Director, Salil Wilson, introduced the Peace Run and shared a little about the recently completed relay run through all 50 States in honor of the 250th Anniversary of the United States.
Ranjana Ghose, President of the Sri Chinmoy Centre, spoke about the Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms program and the honor of St Francis College joining the program, uniting over 900 global landmarks, capitals and significant locations and reaffirming their commitment to the highest ideals of peace and oneness.
"Honoring St. Francis College for spreading Franciscan Values of Peace and Universal Love."
College President Tim Cecere accepted the dedication, later sharing the following statement:
"St. Francis College is honored to be dedicated as a Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom College and receive this recognition which we will proudly display on campus. Peace is a foundational principle of our Franciscan values as established by our patron, St. Francis of Assisi over 800 years ago and our participation in the Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossoms program reinforces our eternal commitment and devotion as an instrument of Peace."
This event was so important to the College President that he even wore his best shoes for the occasion!
The Peace Run Choir performed an arrangement of Sri Chinmoys songs dedicated to The Peace Run, complete with actions!
Students and staff joined us for the actions!
Father Russell Governale, O.F.M. Conventual Franciscan Friar and Clinical Supervisor at the SFC Counselling and Wellness Center, shared a few words on the Franciscan Jubilee Year.
Next it was time for us to learn the diverse range of countries we all came from! This student is from Romania!
Liberia!
Indonesia!
Canada and the United Nations!
Students and Peace Runners held their country flags high!
Undergraduate Dean John Edwards read a Prayer by Pope Leo.
Jim Freeman, Professor of Religious Studies kindly takes care of the Peace Tree which was planted at this occasion two years ago, and is located on the College Garden Terrace. He spoke about the significance of a peace tree and read the quote on the plaque:
O dreamers of peace, come. Let us walk together. O lovers of peace, come. Let us run together. O servers of peace, come. Let us grow together.
-Sri Chinmoy
The final song was an exquisite solo rendition of St Francis's immortal prayer, "Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace" by Raeann Kyriakou, PhD.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
-St. Francis
Finally we all headed outside for a Peace Walk around the block. Students took turns at holding the Torch and we all got to know each other a little!
Long-time Peace Runner, Adhiratha Keefe, was eager to be photographed..his father went to this college some years back!
A big thank you to all the Staff, Students and Peace Runners who enthusiastically contributed to making this event so significant, sweet and special!
Later in the day the Peace Torch took a visit to the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, where many of the heroic runners were happy to run a lap for peace!
Pictured here is Nayaja from Italy.
Stutisheel from Ukraine.
Mens lead runner, Andrea from Italy.
Womens lead runner Annabel from Australia with Harita from New Zealand.
Nina from Taiwan.
Vasu from Russia.
Radu from Moldova.
Wei Ming from Taiwan.
Wei Ming with his wife, May, and friends.
Passers by.
Local friend.
Frequent visitors to the race ;)
May I become A flame of peace In the heart of humanity.
-Sri Chinmoy
