We mark with grief the death of Helmut Harder, Canadian Mennonite church leader, theology professor, ecumenical leader and friend of Bridgefolk, on May 7.
Harder served as the Mennonite co-chair of the International Dialogue between the Catholic Church and Mennonite World Conference from 1998 to 2003. In that role he played a leading role in drafting Called Together to be Peacemakers, the final report and breakthrough document that has been a key reference point for Bridgefolk and its grassroots contributions to ecumenical dialogue between Mennonites and Catholics.
Harder first attended Bridgefolk in 2003 in order to report on the international dialogue, and occasionally thereafter. He also reported on the dialogue at a 2007 academic conference at the University of Notre Dame, organized by Bridgefolk in order to follow up on Called Together to be Peacemakers. Papers from that conference were later published in the book Sharing Peace: Mennonites and Catholics in Dialogue.
In 2012 Harder spoke at Bridgefolk’s annual conference on the topic, “The place of Scripture in the Catholic and Mennonite traditions.” He also helped lead a long-running local dialogue in the Winnipeg, Manitoba, area.
To read Harder’s obituary, click here.