Unrequited Love: Peace Circles

Unrequited Love: Peace Circles

Thursdays: February 6, 13, 20, 27
Morning Sessions: 9:30 – 10:30 AM (CT)
Evening Sessions: 6:30 – 7:30 PM (CT)

Peace Circle Learning and Sharing: Becoming an Active Christian Anti-Racist. Each of these sessions will offer initial insights from Fr. Dowling and Mr. Cross, inviting prayer, reflection questions, and personal sharing with the goal of building a foundation of Christians who are actively seeking to grow in their own understanding of privilege while developing skills to address systemic racism in all its forms. Each session will build upon the previous session(s).

This series of Peace Circles follows the Unrequited Love: Encounter with the Crucified Black Jesus program featuring the artwork, “Unrequited Love” by Haman Cross III.

Format: Morning Sessions: In-Person | The facilitator will be in person.
Evening Sessions: Zoom | The facilitator will be on Zoom.

Facilitator: Fr. Larry Dowling

Fr. Larry Dowling (M.Div, D. Min), ordained in 1991, retired on June 30, 2024 as 17-1/2-yr pastor of St. Simon of Cyrene Parish (locations at St. Agatha & St. Martin de Porres Churches), a predominantly African American parish on Chicago’s west side. He has a passion for healing and restoration of spirit, mind and body of those who have suffered trauma from the multiple ongoing manifestations of systemic racism. He helped establish a free mental health center, the Encompassing Center, for the Chicago West Side community. He served on the Steering Committee to create the first Restorative Justice Community Court in Cook County. He is a founding member of the Archdiocesan Healing Garden Committee, a coalition of clergy and victim-survivors of child and youth sexual abuse. He is a trained Restorative Justice practitioner, published writer, an avid reader, hiker and cyclist.

Haman Cross III is a distinguished artist and project manager based in Chicago, renowned for his community engagement, environmental awareness initiatives, and commitment to spiritual development. Cross is notably credited with providing the idea and co-creating the vision for the Douglass 18 mini-golf course in North Lawndale. He served as a project manager for the Out of Eden Walk-Chicago project, part of Paul Salopek’s global journey. He is the founder of Freedom House Studios, a creative space dedicated to fostering artistic expression and community collaboration. Cross integrates spiritual perspectives into his projects, emphasizing personal and collective growth. His initiatives often encourage participants to explore deeper connections to their surroundings and each other, fostering a holistic approach to community development and personal well-being.

Zoom registrants will receive the Zoom link and passcode via email within 3 business days of registration. A reminder will be sent the day before the program. If you have any questions or didn’t receive an email, please visit our General Information page.