Sr Kathleen McGarvey OLA. Photo: SMA Justice YouTube A religious sister who has worked in Muslim-Christian dialogue in Nigeria has said that inter-religious dialogue is vital in defeating those who want to use religious differences in a divisive way.
Terrorist attack
Sr Kathleen McGarvey OLA was responding to a question about a recent terrorist attack in Norway and the murder of Catholic MP Sir David Amess in Britain where both suspects reportedly claimed to be motivated by Islam.
Reflecting the fact that Ireland is increasingly religiously pluralist, Sr McGarvey told The Irish Catholic that “dialogue must always be encouraged. We are living together as human beings, and when we have a different religious and cultural identity it shapes our lives…It enriches us as a society and as a people,” she said.
Underlining the importance of working together, she said that in her experience in Nigeria, inter-religious dialogue can also help Catholics grow their own faith. “We can work together as people of faith and strengthen each other.”
Own faith
“It’s necessary not only for peace, but for a greater understanding of our own faith.
“It’s basically about being together and living together and praying together to make the world a better place,” she said.
Sr Kathleen, a missionary sister of Our Lady of the Apostles, formed the Women’s Interfaith Council in 2010 in one of the most volatile states in Nigeria, Kaduna.
The WIC has brought over 11,500 Christian and Muslim women together with a vision of a society where both faiths can live in peace.