Daughter of local pastor on bishop's national tour
Youth's passion to bring people together fits 'Hands in Healing' project

By Jessica Peralta   
Sun Post News

Lisa Jardine Bruce leaves for New York on Wednesday to continue a mission to raise awareness about violence.

The 15-year-old, who goes by Jardine, is part of Episcopal Bishop Jon Bruno's "Hands in Healing" project to raise awareness of and help fight violence. That project includes developing a curriculum for churches and schools.

A dozen youth from the diocese are helping to develop the program and are a part of a national tour of major cities to study responses to community violence. The tour ends Memorial Day in Washington, D.C.

Jardine, daughter of the Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce of St. Clement's By-the-Sea Episcopal Church, has long believed in togetherness and communication as a means to conflict resolution.

"I don't like to see people fighting all the time," Jardine said. "I don't like to see people separated from their family."

Jardine's quest for togetherness began before she became a part of "Hands in Healing."

The Rev. Jardine Bruce, of Irvine, said that a few months ago the bishop began rolling out his idea through meetings and convocations, one at which Jardine first spoke. She had written a poem about a friend being verbally abused by her father.

Jardine said she read the poem aloud and the bishop then asked her to become involved with his program. She has gone to Omaha, Neb., is going this week to New York and Ground Zero and will be going to Washington, D.C.

Jardine Bruce will also go on the Washington trip, representing St. Clement's.

"It's so much fun to be in that group of people and know that you're helping people," Jardine said.

Jardine has already helped out her own family. She said just last week she helped reconcile her grandfather and aunt, who hadn't spoken to each other in 20 years. Jardine said she was telling her aunt and cousin how "cool" her grandfather was. And her cousin asked his mom why they didn't have any contact with him. Jardine's aunt subsequently called him.

And there was also the reunion of her father with his long-lost biological father. Jardine's grandmother remarried and the family had lost contact with Jardine's biological grandfather. So last year, Jardine convinced her father to find him. They did and the father and son keep in contact via e-mail and phone.

Jardine Bruce said the program raises awareness about all types of violence — domestic and youth violence, hate crimes and terrorism, which is Jardine's topic of discussion at the meetings.

"(So) that we be proactive at an earlier stage," Jardine Bruce said. "For me as a parent, to watch a daughter be concerned about another human being at that level, especially when they're young. It's a good thing."

Jardine Bruce said the youth in this program are collecting stories from each city they go to in order to compose an interactive multilayered curriculum on the Web. She said program costs — including the national tour — comes out of money available to the bishop.

She said the bishop will be forming an institute at a parish in the diocese. Jardine Bruce has offered St. Clement's.

She said after the tour, she will open up the parish for a free public forum where some of the program participants can share their experiences.