Holy Cross Dean Attends Pope's Ecumenical Service in New York

The Rev. Dr. Thomas FitzGerald, Dean of Holy Cross, was among the select number of church leaders and theologians who were invited to the ecumenical prayer service led by Pope Benedict XVI during his recent visit to the United States.

 The prayer service was held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in New York City on April 18, 2008.

In his homily the Pope emphasized the commitment of the Catholic Church and his own personal commitment to the cause of reconciliation and the visible unity of the churches.

Fr. Thomas has been active in ecumenical dialogues on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. While on leave of absence from Holy Cross from 1994 until 2000, he was the representative of the Ecumenical patriarchate at the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland. He continues to serve as a member and the Orthodox executive secretary of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Bilateral Consultation.