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.

A SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING PAX CHRISTI GROUPS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE SANDY: Members of the Pax Christi Metro New York, Pax Christi Long Island and Pax Christi New Jersey regions were hit especially hard by Hurricane Sandy. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of them as they continue to recover from the storm. If you wish to send a note of solidarity and support to members of these regions, or ask how you can help PC members who might need some direct help as a result of the storm, you can send an email to the following leaders of those regions:

PAX CHRISTI MINNESOTA MEMBER IN IRAQ: Steve Clemens of PC-Minnesota, is back in Iraq ten years after being there with the Iraq Peace Team. He writes in his blog, “I had left Iraq just 3 months before the US war-of-choice began in March 2003. My experience with the Iraq Peace Team was powerful and life-changing because I was able to act on my faith rather than my fears. So this land between the Tigris and Euphrates has a special place in my heart.” You can follow his reports from Iraq on his blog at http://www.mennonista.blogspot.com/

PC Florida Leaders
Five “Prophets of Peace” were named on PC-Florida’s 30th anniversary: Fr. Sebastian Muccilli, Mary Lea Zamora, Carol Ann Breyer, Anne Richter and Maureen O’Connell.

NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER INTERVIEWS PCUSA AMBASSADOR OF PEACE NANCY SMALL: From NCR – “Among my favorite Pax Christi memories is one of Nancy Small leading a few hundred of us in a prayerful protest against the first war in Iraq from the steps of Brooklyn’s St. James Cathedral, which barred our entry, to Assumption Church, which welcomed us. We walked in total silence except for a drumbeat. Along the way, we offered inquisitive spectators fliers explaining our absence from the huge pro-war rally in Manhattan on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. We were few compared to the thousands who supported the military action. I recall that The New York Times, which covered the large rally, concluded with a mention of our resistance…” Read the entire interview with Nancy at http://ncronline.org/node/38161/

LAKESHORE PC (WI) COVENANTS WITH OTHER FAITH COMMUNITIES: Lakeshore Pax Christi in Manitowoc County in Wisconsin have covenanted with Lakeshore United Methodist Church, First Lutheran Church, St James Episcopal Church, and Fox Valley Friends (Quakers) to work for justice. The “Covenanting Celebration for RUTH of Manitowoc County” (RUTH=Responding with Understanding, Truth and Hope) was on October 29. RUTH members work to help persons in need, assisting at the Domestic Violence Shelter, tutoring children, mentoring those returning from prison and jail, volunteering at Hope House and planning the men’s homeless shelter, advocating for children in the CASA program, foster parenting and participating in a myriad of ways of ways of serving and giving locally and on mission trips. RUTH members have concluded that systemic and structural change must also occur if the public good is to be fully served. Read more at http://www.htrnews.com/article/20121026/MAN0101/310260158/Lakeshore-Update?nclick_check=1

PAX CHRISTI HIGH SCHOOL CHAPTER HOLDS PEACE FESTIVAL: The Pax Christi group at Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, CA, worked with their school’s Campus Ministry Department to celebrate their annual St. Francis Peace Festival, October 1 -4. Every student in the school was invited to contribute some research, art, prayer, skit, etc. on the topic of peace.  Each teacher (across the curriculum) was invited to share a peace lesson in their class. The school’s Alumni Hall was filled with colorful and thought-provoking work and activities that invited the students to take a stand for non-violence and peace-making.  The week culminated with a Catholic mass on the feast of St. Francis. The mass began with large puppets created by the Art and Religion Departments, presenting a story of two fighting communities who find a way to sow seeds of peace.

Members of the Pax Christi chapter at Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, CA held a peace festival on the Feast of St. Francis.

PAX CHRISTI MEMBER PUBLISHES NEW BOOK ON SERVANT LEADERSHIP: In Blessings for Leaders, long-time Pax Christi member Dan Ebener skillfully weaves an understanding of one of the most powerful and familiar Bible passages with insights drawn from his experience developing faith-filled leaders in churches and ministry organizations. Ebener reflects on how the paradoxes of leadership can be understood from a careful reflection on the Beatitudes: It takes wisdom, empathy, humility, justice, mercy, service, peace and courage to lead as a Christian. Read more about the book on Dan’s website here: http://www.servantleadershipmodels.com/blessings_for_leaders.html

CONGRATS! PAX CHRISTI FLORIDA CELEBRATES 30 YEARS: Watch the video below prepared by Pax Christi Florida Council member Jim Rucquoi celebrating PC-FL’s 30th anniversary:

PAX CHRISTI WESTERN NEW YORK COLLABORATES TO MOVE VIOLENCE TO HOPE: From the Buffalo News – “Peaceful Genesee envisions a community free of violence of all forms, where all people treat each other with dignity and respect, and that develops ways to peacefully transform conflicts. Its partners include Genesee Community College, government, non-profits, the high school, faith leaders and individuals. The collaborative is working to move from violence to hope in Genesee County, with 58,000 people and 3,300 documented instances of violence and disruption…” Read the rest of this article by PC Western NY coordinator Bill Privett at http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121101/OPINION/121109972/1074

Upcoming or Ongoing Events:

Nov. 16 – PCUSA at the SOA with Medea Benajamin and Bill Quigley, 6-8pm, Friday: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/pax-christi-usa-at-the-soa/

Nov. 16-18 – Annual Vigil and Action at the School of the Americas in Columbus, GA: http://soaw.org

Nov. 16-18 – Ignatian Family Teach-in in Washington, D.C. PCUSA staff members Sr. Anne-Louise Nadeau and Rachel Roa will be presenting a workshop: http://paxchristiusa.org/2012/11/13/press-release-pcusa-to-present-at-the-ignatian-family-teach-in-for-justice/

Nov. 18 – Regional Dialogue in Southern California: http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/regional-dialogues-2012-13/

Dec. 1 – World AIDS Day: http://www.worldaidsday.org/

Dec. 2 – First Sunday of Advent: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120212.cfm

Dec. 10 – International Human Rights Day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Day

Dec. 12 – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121212.cfm

Dec. 28 – Feast of the Holy Innocents: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122812.cfm

Quicklinks:

Chase Nordengren, former coordinator for the Pax Christi chapter at the Catholic University of America, is now a blogger for the “Young Voices” section of National Catholic Reporter … Pax Christi Austin and PC-Austin member Kay Arnold were featured in an interview on The Way podcast … Former PCUSA National Council member and member of PC Metro DC-Baltimore Donna Toliver Grimes was named the Assistant Director of African American Affairs at the USCCB. Read this interview with Donna done last February by Mary Liepold. Congrats Donna! … PC-Indianapolis member JoAnn Lingle was in Pakistan on a peace delegation in October. Read her blog entries here … Bud Ryan of PC-New Mexico had a comment published in The New York Times blog regarding an article on the just war theory … Pax Christi Tucson participates in their parish’s “Theology Uncorked” program which is discussing gun violence with survivors of the January 2011 shooting in Arizona that killed 6 people and wounded 12 others including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords … Pax Christi Pentagon Area (VA) held a drone protest outside CIA headquarters last weekend … Pax Christi Teacher of Peace Ruben Garcia was featured this month in the Christian Science Monitor … Pax Christi South Dakota members protested the death penalty and were featured in several news outlets in October, including this story in the San Francisco Chronicle … Pax Christi Upstate New York member Jack Gilroy was one of several authors of this invitation to “Awake to Drones!” … See more local and regional updates in the fall edition of The Peace Current …

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