2023 October Season of Justice, Peace and Creation Schedule

“Promoting Human Dignity,” a central value of the founders, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

We unite around the new concentrations at UIW, “Sustainability,” based on the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and “Social Justice and Peace.”

Celebrate God’s Creation! A Blessing of the Animals on the Eve of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Oct. 3, 2023, 6 p.m.

Our Lady’s Grotto by the SEC

Bring your animals, live and stuffed and pray that we might cherish God’s creation and share God’s creation! Guest speakers will be former UIW students, Edwin Mendoza and Darlene Jasso, now serving in Guatemalan villages in the Little Angels of Mary ministry promoting nutrition and sharing the gifts of God’s creation in the face of severe malnutrition. We gather by the Headwaters Sanctuary, 52-acres of natural land where native peoples have lived for over 10,000 years. 

Email: kirk@uiwtx.edu
Phone: (210) 883-5934
Website: Headwaters at Incarnate Word

Nobel Peace Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum

Oct. 4, 2022, 12 noon and 6 p.m.,

Reservations required

The Guatemalan woman Rigoberta Menchú was the first indigenous person to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. As a teenager, learning through the Catholic Church, she became involved in social reform activities to help her people who were trapped in poverty. She became prominent uniting people. Such activity aroused opposition in influential circles. Both her father and her brother were killed in the armed internal conflict, but she courageously continued to speak for indigenous people. This is a part of the Leaders of the Americas Speaker Series sponsored by the Liza and Jack Lewis Center of the Americas.

See Events Details

Walking for Inner Peace: Labyrinth Walks to Your Center of Wisdom, Goodness, and Beauty

Oct. 6, 1-7 pm.
Oct. 7, 8:30 a.m.-7 pm.
Oct. 16 and Oct. 17, 8:30 a.m.-7  p.m.

UIW Student Engagement Center Ballroom

You are invited to walk the labyrinth, a form of meditation to still our minds and renew our hearts. This practice, valued by modern psychologists, goes back to ancient civilizations. In Gothic Cathedrals people would walk the labyrinth as a way of making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and walking where Jesus walked. Plan on half an hour or more for the “journey.” Consider bringing a journal that you might write in as you rest in wisdom. See a two-minute film introduction to walking the labyrinth. No shoes allowed. Socks or bare feet, please. Learn more about the walk at this link and register if you are not in a class group. The Labyrinth is sponsored by UIW Unified in Wellness. Watch YouTube Video.

Event Registration

United to End the Death Penalty

Oct. 10, 2023

See Locations Below

The University of the Incarnate Word and Catholic Mobilizing Network have partnered with the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Pax Christi to observe "World Day Against the Death Penalty" on Oct. 10. On this day, the state of Texas plans to execute Mr. Jedidiah Murphy.

Visit the exhibit on Death Penalty resources in the Mabee Library (see campus map).

"The Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that 'the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,' and she works with determination for its abolition."

(Catechism of the Catholic Church 2267)

Sign up for each event:

  1. 11:30 a.m. Vigil: Join local organizations and groups who mobilize when an execution is scheduled in Texas by holding a public vigil at noon outside the San Fernando Cathedral. UIW will provide transportation from the Broadway campus to San Fernando Cathedral or participants can meet the group downtown. The bus will return to UIW by 1:30 p.m.
  2. 6:15 p.m. Dinner: Enjoy an informal buffet meal at the UIW Student Engagement Ballroom.
  3. 7-8:30 p.m. Panel: Come listen to the powerful stories of three exceptional witnesses:
    • Monique Coleman, sister of a death row exoneree who advocated for his liberation and reintegration
    • Mitesh Patel, a San Antonio resident who advocated against the execution of the man who murdered his father
    • Dr. Doshie Piper, associate professor of Criminal Justice at the University of the Incarnate Word

Find out more injustices of the death penalty and how to unite in the face of it in Texas. All events are open to students, staff, faculty and community members.

Register Here

International Day of the Girl, a Digital and Local Celebration of Inspiring Women

Oct. 11, 2023, 1-1:45 p.m.

UIW Feik School of Pharmacy, Room 454

Light lunch provided.

Digital presentation available online starting Oct. 11 on the YWGLP Program Website.

The United Nations declared the International Day of the Girl for education and affirmation. Worldwide and collectively, girls ages 5 to 14 spend more than 160 million hours more on household chores than boys of the same age do. Globally, one in four girls are married before 18 years of age. A Circle of Friends and Mentors of the UIW Young Women’s Global Leadership program are contributing some of their stories. Once they were girls. See some pictures of them. Now they are professionals in education, law, health care, social work and other fields. What challenges did they face? What educational opportunities did they embrace?

The Girls Global Summit program within Women’s Global Connection began in 2012. Girls in the program were very distressed when the office closed and the pandemic broke out. Transformation and growth continue today in the growing Young Women’s Global Leadership program. See the growing groups and the Digital Celebration on Oct. 11.

“Vidas Robadas, Stolen Lives”

Oct. 23, 10 a.m. through Oct. 27, Noon

UIW Dubuis Lawn, Clock Tower

We create an installation that honors local victims of gun violence and connects the reality of gun violence to our community’s lived experience. Over 2600 residents of Bexar County have died from gun violence in the last 5 years.

Roughly half were homicide victims and the other half were suicide victims. Today, gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in our nation and in our state. The loss of so many lives is why we need to increase public awareness of and commitment to gun safety. Texas Impact and COPS/Metro Alliance are partnering with other local organizations and faith communities to create public installations of t-shirts bearing the names of those lost in our community.

Join the UIW community on Dubuis Lawn creating this memorial. Help us publicize, set up, and host the installation. Help us write names and draw on T-shirts, decorate and weep, discuss and create more caring communities. Contact Sister Martha Ann Kirk, kirk@uiwtx.edu or 210-883-5934.

For community service hours, register here. 

On Oct. 25, Peace Day, 10:30 - 11:15 a.m., SEC 2030-32 or Zoom, a gathering will be held to discuss “Vidas Robadas, Stolen Lives.” See the full Peace Day schedule below.

Register Here

Peace Day: Promoting Human Dignity

Oct. 25, 9-8:30 p.m.

Student Engagement Center (SEC) or Zoom
Presentations in SEC 2030-32, Exhibits in the Concourse

In 1986, UIW began hosting an annual Peace Fair with educational content and planted the first “peace pole” monument to mark the beginning of its new Master of Arts degree in Peace and Justice. UIW now has concentrations in social justice and peace and sustainability, strengthening our academic commitments.

If you wish to attend Peace Day events on zoom, register here:

Online Event Registration

Wisdom for a Peaceful, Caring World from a Palestinian Grandmother

Oct. 25, 9-10:15 a.m.

SEC 2030-32 or Zoom

Dr. Rolla Alaydi will share stories from her new book NORAH: From My Grandmother’s Kitchen: Palestinian Recipes and Memories. The book begins with a dialogue between two compassionate and courageous women Dr. Alaydi whose Palestinian grandmother Norah experienced being displaced to a refugee camp and Dianne Monroe whose Jewish grandmother Esther was displaced because of the Holocaust. The book is offered “as a small gesture that may in some way help to heal this wounded world.” The book “serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of storytelling, the enduring bonds of family, and the healing potential of empathy and compassion. This book is an ode to the wisdom passed down through generations and a celebration of the indomitable spirit that resides in the heart of every grandmother's kitchen.” Dr. Alaydi, a UIW Alumna, teaches at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Monterey, CA.

“Vidas Robadas, Stolen Lives”

2600 Victims of Gun Violence in Bexar County: Stories, Discussion and Action Plans for Change

Oct. 25, 10:30-11:45 a.m.

SEC 2030-32 or Zoom

Over 2600 residents of Bexar County have died from gun violence in the last 5 years. Roughly half were homicide victims and the other half suicide victims. See the description above of the growing exhibit based on this which will be on Dubuis Lawn. Rev. Rob Mueller of Divine Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Bobby Watson of Texas Impact, Angie Jehn of Bexar County, and Moms Demand Action - Texas Chapter will share. 

The UIW Poverty Simulation: Enjoy a Free Lunch and Have a Conversation for Community Transformation.

Oct. 25, 12-1:00 p.m.

SEC 2030-32 or Zoom

UIW faculty and students who have participated in the UIW Poverty Simulation will share their thoughts and feelings. What does it mean to be in San Antonio, the 3rd poorest city in the US though we are the 8th largest city in the US. Do we recognize that? How can we change the systems that perpetuate that? The conversation is organized by Dr. Amy Crocker, School of Physical Therapy. The nutrition class of Dr. Joseph Bonilla is preparing a delicious soup lunch. Enjoy plant-based food, good for the planet and good for you. 

Compassionate USA

Oct. 25, 1:30-2:45 p.m.

SEC 2030-32 or Zoom

“ CompassionateUSA  is a learning journey designed to teach self-compassion and community well-being that honors our common humanity and affirms the beauty of our differences. We seek to help people develop foundational skill sets, a shared vocabulary, and a common practice for all people to ultimately decrease violence and trauma and increase individual and collective healing.” The International Charter for Compassion movement was introduced locally in a UIW Religion Class service-learning project in 2009 for the SA Compassionate. San Antonio has committed to be a “City of Compassion” and has developed CompassionateUSA, a people-centered campaign that includes: a video series, a self-paced micro course, an action-driven toolkit that provides resources to help create a compassionate community and a network of groups.

Guatemala Solidarity: Learning, Helping, Going Where There is Great Need

Oct. 25, 3-4:15 p.m.

SEC 2030-32 or Zoom

Sixty-nine percent of the children are malnourished and illiteracy in families is high. Edwin Mendoza and Darlene Jasso, who met as students at UIW in 2013 did not turn away but are working with Guatemalan indigenous families to create a better future. Learn how the non-profit Little Angels of Mary started and how UIW students, Dr. Beth Senne-Duff and Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, worked with them last May building eight gardens for families, promoting literacy in the preschool, and nutrition education among the mothers. 

Consider joining UIW Business students working to support the children. Learn about the upcoming trip next May. Sign up to get information and how to receive community service hours.

Event Registration

Research for a More Compassionate, Just and Peaceful Future: A Roundtable Discussion

Oct. 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

SEC 2030-32 or Zoom

UIW PhD students in the Dreeben School of Education are co-creating a more compassionate, just, and peaceful future with their “Action Research,” gender research, philanthropy research, international educational research and more. A round table conversation with Lorena Cestou, Erika Haskins, Mary Kay Martinez, Teofilo Reyes, Bro. Patrick Tumwine, C.S.C., Michelle Vasquez, and Dr. Larry Hufford, International Relations and Political Science professor emeritus of St. Mary’s University. Follow  Dr. Larry Hufford's LinkedIn  account.

Tree-Planting Remembering Incarnate Word graduate, Theresa Canales, Her Civic Engagement and Contributions to Sustainability in San Antonio

Oct. 25, 5:35 p.m.

In front of the UIW Administration Building by the statue.

Cary Clack describes, “Our Theresa” in the San Antonio Express-News shortly after the sudden death of  Incarnate Word graduate, “’Our’ is the pronoun of community, of belonging, of responsibility. Few people felt as strong a responsibility to her community as Theresa Canales, whether it was the community of her neighborhood or the community of her world. Humanity was the community. Theresa wasn’t a public figure in the sense that she was famous or a household name, but the extent of her reach in so many communities and in the lives she touched through her presence, teaching and engaging citizenship was as meaningful as any celebrity. Wide is the community that will always consider her ‘our Theresa.’” Read “Love of ‘our Theresa’ endures,” here.  At the time of her death, “Our Theresa” was a leader in the city collaborative for sustainability and during the city Tri-Centennial she was assisting UIW with our “Sustainability Service Project.” We join the “ Compassion Tree Movement” by planting a tree in her memory. Learn about the Compassionate Tree Project SA.

Attend Peace Day events on Zoom.

Register Here 

Exhibits all day in the SEC Concourse and on Dubuis Lawn include:

See the exhibit on Death Penalty Resources in the Mabee Library.

We are grateful to all presenters and exhibitors for Peace Day 2023. Special thanks to Lorena Cestou, MS, Service Learning assistant.