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 HOUSTON PARTICIPATES IN MEMORIAL FOR HIROSHIMA-NAGASAKI VICTIMS: (Submitted by CCFoley) On Sunday, August 4, members and friends of Pax Christi-Houston, Dominican Sisters of Houston, Maryknoll Brothers and Priests of Houston, Rothko Chapel, and The Houston Peace and Justice Club walked in procession, some with Death masques, in a “March of the Dead”, as a memorial to those killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. A prayer vigil was held at The Rothko Chapel, 3900 Yupon St, concerning the abolition of nuclear weapons; speakers included Fr. Gerry Kelly, MM and Fr. Maurice Restivo, CSB, and children from the Peace Club reading portions of John Hershey’s Hiroshima. A purpose of the memorial procession and vigil is to continue the discussion on the morality of a nuclear arsenal under the guise of deterrence. This year is the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s encyclical, Pacem in Terris, and the 30th anniversary of the US Catholic Bishops’ Letter on War and Peace which warns against nuclear weaponry and the arms race.
PAX CHRISTI PHOENIX JOINS PAX CHRISTI NEW MEXICO AT LOS ALAMOS: (submitted by John Zemblidge) Kevin Barry, Bob Basque, Tim Hall, Margaret McChesney, Rosemary Russo and John Zemblidge of Pax Christi Phoenix joined members of Pax Christi New Mexico at Los Alamos for the Annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki Memorial Peace Action. We joined Father John Dear and many others at Ashley Pond to beg for forgiveness and witness for peace, wearing sack cloth and sitting in ashes in silent prayer. There, we were joined by Marcus Page of the Catholic Worker Farm at Sheep Ranch, California. Marcus has been fasting for The Truth of Gospel Nonviolence for the last ten days. The next day, Marcus led us to the gates of Los Alamos National Laboratory, where we greeted workers with smiles and prayer, between 7 and 8:00 a.m., as they arrived to work in our laboratories. Read more about these events as covered by the Santa Fe New Mexican at http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_3e464b5a-2e05-5403-a0c9-7cf8dd2eb930.html
PAX CHRISTI ILLINOIS MARCHES FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM: (submitted by Tom Cordaro) Thousands of supporters of comprehensive immigration reform, including member of Pax Christi Illinois, rallied and marched through the West Chicago on Saturday, July 27, urging Representative Peter Roskam (R-IL 6th) to stop obstructing common sense reform that includes a path to citizenship. The rally included stories of “Dreamers,” children who came with their undocumented parents to this country and now face marginalization and roadblocks to a life of dignity. Other children told of the hardships of having a father or mother torn from their lives because of the enforcement only policies of our government. Read more at http://paxchristiusa.org/2013/08/05/regional-news-pc-illinois-marches-for-immigration-reform-this-is-what-church-looks-like/
PAX CHRISTI INDIANAPOLIS JOINS RALLY FOR PEACE IN SYRIA: (submitted by Val Fillenwarth) On Saturday, July 20, from 2 to 4 pm, Pax Christi Indianapolis joined a “Syria Peace Talks – Not War” rally and “Walk for Peace” on the South side of Monument Circle, sponsored by Indianapolis Peace and Justice Center, Indiana Peace and Justice Network, and Hoosiers for Peace and Justice. This rally was in response to 100,000 people killed and over one million Syrians displaced, plus American plans to supply weapons to certain rebel groups.
Upcoming or Ongoing Events:
August 17 – Pax Christi Metro New York’s Annual Summer Picnic in Central Park, http://www.nypaxchristi.org/events.html
Sept. 8 – Three Journeys Toward Peace: Third Annual George Regas Courageous Peacemaker Award, Culver City, CA, http://regasaward2013.eventbrite.com/
Sept. 21 – Bishop Sullivan Pax Christi Tidewater (VA) is bringing Fr. Roy Bourgeois to the One Love Festival, in Virginia Beach, http://onelovefestivalva.com/
Oct. 25 – Momentum 2013 in Washington, D.C., featuring the 2013 Teacher of Peace Mary Meg McCarthy, http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/momentum-2013/
Quicklinks:
Pax Christi Metro New York commemorated the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki … Upstate (NY) Pax Christi is one of a group of community sponsors for an annual peace scholarship … Pax Christi Southwest FL member Dave Montrose was a featured blogger on the CTA Young Adult Catholics site last month … Pax Christi International’s July 2013 newsletter is online … See more local and regional updates in the Summer 2013 edition of The Peace Current …
- Send your news items, announcements, photos and links to stories about Pax Christi groups or members to jzokovitch@paxchristiusa.org.