WHO WE ARE
Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII) cultivates Christian unity and interreligious harmony, with the goal of fostering peace, justice, reconciliation, collaboration, mutual appreciation, and friendship among all people.
We are a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, a Roman Catholic religious community of brothers and priests in the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi and the founder of the Society of the Atonement, Father Paul Wattson, SA.
OUR MISSION INCLUDES:
Research and scholarship on the history of conflict and the dynamics of peacebuilding within and between religious communities, through academic study and grassroots engagement.
Contributing expertise in ecumenical and interreligious matters to faith communities, academic organizations, and news media, collaborating with local and national networks to provide lectures, workshops, and short courses.
Publication of the journal Ecumenical Trends: an internationally read, bimonthly periodical offering diverse perspectives where the church, the academy, and the interfaith field coincide. Publication and distribution of resource materials for the annual observance of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Cosponsorship of national and international gatherings, including the North American Academy of Ecumenists, the Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network, and the Paul Wattson Lecture Series.
Educational programming, including an annual intensive summer course that introduces students to ecumenical and interreligious history and methodology, presented at the Centro Pro Unione in Rome.
OUR MISSION INCLUDES:
Fr. Paul Wattson was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1886. In 1898, he and an Episcopal sister, Lurana White, founded the Society of the Atonement at Graymoor, in Garrison, NY, with the mission of promoting Christian unity. He also contributed to the founding of what is now the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which was first celebrated at Graymoor in 1908.
In 1909, Father Paul, Mother Lurana, and all the members of the Society of the Atonement were received into the Catholic Church. The Society continued in its prophetic mission even in advance of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), when the Catholic Church made its full commitment to the modern ecumenical and interreligious movements.
GEII was first established in 1967 at the Friars’ headquarters at Graymoor, and later moved to its present location at the Interchurch Center in New York City.
The Institute continues to be led by a team of Friars and lay collaborators dedicated to the spirit of Fr. Paul’s vision.
The Atonement Franciscan Legacy at 125 Years and Beyond
Learn more about the Mission of the Atonement Friars in this interview with Fr. Brian Terry, SA and Dr. Aaron Hollander.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GEII AND HOW TO COLLABORATE IN OUR PROGRAMS AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR MISSION?
Reach out to us today. We’re looking forward to the conversation.