1,000 students gathering Friday to discuss poverty by Ellen Kleinerman

Cleveland Plain Dealer, Tuesday, March 06, 2007                                                               

More than 1,000 Northeast Ohio high school students will gather on Friday to talk about poverty.

The first Catholic Schools for Peace and Justice summit aims to raise awareness among youth and "dispel myths that often blame victims," said Sister Kathleen Ryan of the Commission on Catholic Community Action.

Students from 21 Catholic high schools in Northeast Ohio will meet at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland for the day-long event to learn about the working poor, migrant workers, workers' rights, the homeless, health care and more.

"It's opening students' eyes to how the poor are surviving," Ryan said, "but it's ultimately a call to action."

Highlights of the summit include viewing "Faces of Poverty in Northeast Ohio," a video made by students who spent time getting to know people who live in Cleveland's poor neighborhoods. The Rev. Anthony Pilla, retired bishop of the Cleveland diocese, will be the keynote speaker.

The summit is Pilla's dream, said teacher Augie Pacetti of Padua Franciscan High School, who organized the event with Ryan and St. Ignatius teacher Tim Evans.