Father Thomas Ryan is no stranger to Bermuda's shores, and next Saturday he will be sharing at the Christians Together seminar organised by the Roman Catholic Church Peace and Social Justice Committee.

"We've been in operation for about one and a half years," said committee chairperson, Joanne Wohlmuth. "It is a committee of the diocesan pastoral council. This is the first big event we've organised."

The group was created after Bishop Robert Kurtz urged that the "church become more involved in social justice and peace," Ms Wohlmuth said. The church hopes to follow the example of other congregations overseas.

Father Ryan directs the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in Washington, D.C. Before that, he served as the director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism and was the founder-director of Unitas, an ecumenical centre for spirituality and meditation in Montreal.

He has written nine books, including, "Four Steps to Spiritual Freedom," "Prayer of Heart and Body – Meditation and Yoga as Christian Spiritual Practice," "A Survival Guide for Ecumenically Minded Christians," and "Disciplines for Christian Living – Interfaith Perspectives."

The event will begin with breakfast, followed by a time of opening remarks by Father Ryan, as well as presentations from a variety of church leaders from across the community. There will also be question-and-answer periods and break-out group discussions.

For more information on attending, contact Joanne Wohlmuth at 232-2802 or 295-3355. Father Ryan's website is www.tomryancsp.org