Local faith leaders and members of the public attended “Many Paths To Peace: An Interfaith Conversation” at Trinity Episcopal Church on the evening of Sunday, March 19.

The event was hosted by Newtown Interfaith Council as an opportunity for the community to share how their spiritual traditions interpret and practice peace.

Reverend Andrea Castner Wyatt, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, welcomed the smaller-than-anticipated group that was seated in a circle of chairs at the front of the sanctuary.

“Thank you for joining us. It looks like we have a largely Christian representation of the Interfaith Council tonight,” she said.

Wyatt noted that the Interfaith Council usually has representation from different churches, synagogues, mosques, and non-denominational groups at its gatherings.

She explained that this particular event was created in place of a vigil to pay tribute to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The dialogue began with Reverend Matt Crebbin of Newtown Congregational Church sharing how many Christian traditions began from Jewish traditions.

He dived into theological points of view, including how there are scenarios in religious script of “righteous violence,” but war is not justified. Keeping the peace is what people should ultimately strive toward.

Wyatt spoke to how Jesus navigated his religious teachings while still trying to keep peace between himself, his followers, and the rulers of the time.

Two Trinity Episcopal Church members, Cindy Anderau and Noelle D’Agostino, shared about how they work on inner peace through a prayer group that focuses on the “Centering” method.

The way they described Centering is that a person allots 20 minutes of silence in the morning and 20 minutes of silence in the evening to quiet the mind and unify with God. It can be done alone or in a group.

“It is a practice,” D’Agostino said.

While Centering is seen as a personal journey to peace, it does not stop there and allows people to share their peace with others.

Trinity Episcopal Church offers a Centering program, both in person and online, on the second Saturday of each month from 10 to 11:30 am. To learn more, contact Wyatt at awyatt@trinitynewtownct.org.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.