Memorial Service for Thomas Berry

On Saturday, September 26, the Cathedral honors the memory and celebrates the life of Dr. Thomas Berry. This remarkable teacher, writer, and sage died on June 1, 2009. A beloved educator and friend, Dr. Berry’s insight and understanding inspired many. From his academic beginnings as a historian of world cultures and religions, Dr. Berry developed into a historian of the Earth and its evolutionary processes. He described himself as a "geologian."

Dr. Berry was an Honorary Canon at the Cathedral and was a major inspiration for its long-standing concern for the environment. His family, friends, and colleagues will come together to remember Dr. Berry through words and music, including a tribute by Cathedral Artist-in-Residence Paul Winter. All are welcome.

The 4 p.m. memorial service will be preceded by a 2 p.m. presentation of the Thomas Berry Award, which was initiated in 1999 to honor Dr. Berry’s legacy. This year’s awardee is Martin S. Kaplan, who helped to set up the Thomas Berry Foundation and has been an extraordinary supporter of Dr. Berry’s vision. A leader in the field of environmental grant-making, he has assisted environmental programs at Harvard, Columbia, MIT, and Yale.