ON THE LINE: June edition features PC members, groups in Newsday, NY Times, Washington Post, and more

Compiled by Johnny Zokovitch

Each month, “On The Line” features news items and announcements from around the nation featuring Pax Christi members, local groups, regions and partners. These are gleaned from articles in local newspapers, websites, magazines, and elsewhere. 

PAX CHRISTI MICHIGAN COORDINATOR FEATURED IN YOUTUBE VIDEO: Joan Tirak, coordinator for Pax Christi Michigan, was a featured speaker at the 10^th anniversary celebration of the Lansing Peace Community. The event was videotaped and uploaded to YouTube. You can watch Joan’s speech here: http://youtu.be/x7tWykfP8DI?t=6m40s

PAX CHRISTI LONG ISLAND’S MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE FEATURED IN NEW YORK TIMES BLOG: Nancy Dwyer of PC-Long Island responded to the New York Times request for readers to share their Memorial Day rituals and traditions. Nancy wrote of PC-Long Island’s annual memorial at Jones Beach for the war dead, inviting people “to join us, even if only for a few minutes, for the solemn reading of the names of the war dead.” Nancy also wrote that Memorial Day “shouldn’t be a time to glorify war with an air show and a display of weapons to entice young people to enlist in more wars.” Read the entire letter here: http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/readers-memorial-day-rituals/

PAX CHRISTI’S RECOGNITION OF U.S. NUNS FEATURED IN WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE: In an article by Mary Johnson of Religion News Service on the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s report on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, she cited Pax Christi USA’s recognition of U.S. women religious at our national conference in 2010. “As Pax Christi noted when honoring the sisters in 2010, the LCWR is composed of ‘strong, prophetic, and compassionate women … always on the front lines where the weak and most vulnerable suffer at the hands of violent and unjust power.’” Read the entire article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/the-nuns-who-once-taught-the-bishops-arent-done-yet/2012/06/04/gJQAe2c4DV_story.html

PAX CHRISTI NEW MEXICO CO-COORDINATOR TO UNDERTAKE HUNGER STRIKE: This year New Mexico Pax Christi invites PCUSA members to join them in participating in Nuke Free Now, a weekend event Aug. 4-6th in Santa Fe and Los Alamos, N.M. We will transform the nuclear narrative in the public consciousness and inspire a life-affirming future. Alaric Balibrera, whose father was the film documentarian for Los Alamos Labs from 1967 to 1982, realized his exposure as a child to nuclear contamination and the terrible consequences of nuclear weapons. He will be hunger striking from July 16th to August 6th to increase the awareness to the mounting nuclear crisis that threatens all na­tions on this planet. Ellie Voutselas of Pax Christi New Mexico  has pledged to join his hunger strike from July 16-22. Others are invited to join in this action. Please see http://www.nukefreenow.org for complete information.

PAX CHRISTI ILLINOIS HOLDS MASS ON THE GRASS PRIOR TO MARCH: On Sunday morning, May 20^th in Chicago, prior to the March for Justice and Reconciliation organized by the Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW), nearly 100 members of Pax Christi USA, the Catholic Worker and 8^th Day Center for Justice gathered in Grant Park for a Eucharistic Liturgy. Presiding at the liturgy was Fr. Bob Bossie, SCJ, a long-time Chicago peace activist. After Mass the group joined the IVAW rally and marched with the thousands from around the country who were saying “no” to NATO’s ever-expanding mission and ever-increasing costs that serve the strategic goals of the 1% while forcing austerity at home and destitution and death around the world. To see photos and read a full report, go here: http://paxchristiusa.org/2012/05/23/regional-event-catholics-gather-for-eucharist-prior-to-nato-summit-march-for-reconciliation-and-justice/

PAX CHRISTI METRO NEW YORK HONORS JEWISH PEACEMAKER: The Times Ledger of New York featured an article on Rabbi Michael Weisser, who was honored by Pax Christi Metro New York at an awards reception on June 3. You can read the article here, http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2012/22/weisserhonored_ne_2012_05_31_q.html. Also honored were Bud Courtney for his peacemak­ing on the lower east side of Manhattan, in Iraq, and at the Arizona/Mexico border; and Carla DeYcaza for her work for hu­man rights, transitional justice, and nonviolent conflict resolu­tion in Africa. Read more at http://paxchristiusa.org/2012/05/25/regional-event-pc-metro-new-york-honors-peacemakers/

PAX CHRISTI HAITI COLLEAGUE HONORED AS ARCHITECT OF THE FUTURE: Daniel Tillias, Program Director of Pax Christi in Haiti and a frequent speaker to Pax Christi local groups in the U.S., was honored recently as an “Architect of the Future.” Daniel was recognized as one of ten outstanding social entrepreneurs from around the world. Read more here: http://architectsofthefuture.net/portfolio/daniel-tillias/

PAX CHRISTI MANASOTA CHAPTER OBSERVES MEMORIAL DAY: On Memorial Day, the Manasota (FL) Chapter of Pax Christi, together with members of the Coalition for Concerned Patriots and the Southwest Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice, gathered around the Peace Pole erected several years back at Island Park—in the Sarasota Bayfront area—to remember in song and prayer all who locally stood for peace and justice and had passed on before us. We remembered fifteen area peace activists, including Les Druckemiller who was responsible for erecting the Peace Pole.  About twenty people gathered for the service and a picnic luncheon.

Upcoming Events:

• June 16 – Rochester (MN) Pax Christi group with others will host Kathy Kelly on “Afghanistan: The Cost of Perpetual War.” For more information: http://www.paxchristimn.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/KathyKelly2.pdf
• July 28 – Regional dialogue with PCUSA national leadership, local groups and members in St. Louis: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/regional-dialogues-2012-13/
• August 4-6 – New Mexico Pax Christi with other groups invites you to participate in Nuke Free Now, a weekend event Aug. 4-6^th in Santa Fe and Los Alamos , N.M.  Please see www.nukefreenow.org for complete information.

Quicklinks:

Pax Christi Houston honors U.S. vets by calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan … Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore has posted an excellent prayer service on the use of drones by Art Laffin … Pax Christi Michigan conference inspires hope, action … Pax Christi Long Island board member and Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Keeler writes about his worst nightmare in Newsday … Pax Christi Baltimore’s Chuck Michaels is featured talking about liturgy in this article in the Herald Malaysia Online … Jim O’Callahan of Downtown Brooklyn Pax Christi wrote this review on the film Cite Soleil: Sun, Dust and Hope … Read the thoughts and opinions of Mike McCarthy of Blue Water (MI) on his blog … Pax Christi Maine hosted a state assembly titled “Resisting the Culture of Violence” in May … Pax Christi Long Island’s Memorial  Day service was mentioned in a letter to the editor to Newsday … Read Pax Christi International’s June newsletter … JustFaith Ministries in collaboration with Pax Christi USA just released a special 12 session module for small groups on “Just Peacemaking.” There is a special discount for Pax Christi local groups wanting to purchase the module … PCUSA is seeking an Associate Director of Development and a Program Director …

• Send your news items, announcements, photos and links to stories about Pax Christi groups or members to johnnypcusa@yahoo.com.