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.
LONG-TIME PC FLORIDA COORDINATOR CAROL ANN BREYER PASSES: Earlier this month, Pax Christi USA learned that we had lost one of our most effective and trusted regional leaders, Carol Ann Breyer of Pax Christi Florida. Carol Ann served as the state coordinator for Pax Christi Florida for a number of years and was a constant presence at national events and actions, including offering her leadership during Pax Christi USA’s project bringing election observers to Florida in 2004 and most recently, at Pax Christi USA’s leadership meeting in June in Washington, D.C…. Read her entire obituary at this link http://paxchristiusa.org/2014/09/29/obituary-carol-ann-breyer-former-state-coordinator-of-pax-christi-florida-presente/
PC MASSACHUSETTS COORDINATOR ASKS, “WHAT CAN WE DO?” (The following piece by Pat Ferrone, Pax Christi Massachusetts Coordinator, was published in her local newspaper.) Two pieces in the Boston Globe captured my attention recently. One, a letter from William Lambers, author of “Ending World Hunger with Words from History,” appeared on September 27;” the second, by Jeff Jacoby, on October 1, entitled “Comfort Those Who Wander.” Both focus attention on the plight of the estimated 50 million refugees who now wander our world, forced to flee homelands because of the collapse of civil society in their countries, or because of persecution and war. Faced with extreme hunger and dispossessed of all security, they now endure lives of desperation, dependent on the response of individuals and nations to tend to their basic needs. Often, they go wanting, unable to begin anew… To read the entire article, go to http://paxchristiusa.org/2014/10/07/reflection-what-can-we-do/
PC INTERNATIONAL’S VIBRANT PRESENCE AT THE UN: (by PC-Maryknoll member and PCI UN team representative Beth Begley) Pax Christi International (PCI) has had special consultative status at the United Nations since 1979. Day by day there seems to be little change here at the UN – but looking back over the past 10 years I see amazing changes: communication, outreach to youth, sustained insistence on gender equity, an emerging sense of power among the non-nuclear states, a growing sense among NGO’s that all issues are interconnected. As the Millennium Development Goals mature and meetings continue to articulate ‘The World We Want Post 2015’ in April 2015, it is clear that a more inclusive and integrated world view is being expressed. It is acknowledged that where there is conflict there is no development, although disarmament is not on this radar… Read more at http://paxchristiusa.org/2014/09/30/pax-christi-international-pcis-vibrant-presence-at-the-un/
PCUSA AMBASSADOR OF PEACE JOHN DEAR’S REMARKS AT THE START OF CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE: (The following remarks were delivered on September 18 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. as part of the launch of Campaign Nonviolence’s week of actions. Over 100 Pax Christi local groups and regions participated, from Chicago to Memphis to Maine, New Mexico to New York City and all points in between.) Today we are pleased to announce the launch of Campaign Nonviolence, a growing grassroots movement that begins this Sunday, September 21st, International Peace Day, with a week of over 225 protests, marches and rallies across the country in every state against war, military spending, poverty, the epidemic of violence and catastrophic climate change… Read more of John’s remarks at this link, http://paxchristiusa.org/2014/09/24/campaign-nonviolence-remarks-at-the-national-press-club-launch-of-campaign-nonviolence/
WHO’S WHO OF PAX CHRISTI MEMBERS CO-AUTHOR THIS YEAR’S ADVENT REFLECTION BOOKLET: This year’s Advent reflection booklet, Waking Up to God in Our Midst: Reflections for Advent 2014, was co-authored by 4 different high profile activists. One week apiece was written by the following authors: Adrienne Alexander, former PCUSA National Council member and youth representative, an organizer with AFSCME in Chicago; Rev. Joseph Nangle, ofm, a PCUSA Ambassador of Peace and member of PC Metro D.C.-Baltimore; author and teacher Shannen Dee Williams, Ph.D., and Sr. Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK. To guarantee your copies of this year’s booklet and to guarantee you receive it before Advent begins, pre-order by October 15 at this link http://paxchristiusa.3dcartstores.com/WAKING-UP-TO-GOD-IN-OUR-MIDST-ADVENT-2014-DAILY-REFLECTIONS_p_288.html
PC MICHIGAN HOSTS NUNS ON THE BUS: (by Alison Zacharias, PCM Organizer) On the morning of Friday, September 26, Nuns on the Bus stopped by Cristo Rey Church in Lansing, MI, for a ‘Town Hall for the 100%,’ an event in which Pax Christi Michigan was a co-leader in organizing/sponsoring, with special help from members of the Pax Christi Lansing local group. Mark Schauer, who is running for governor of Michigan, attended the event to listen to the community, where the focus was providing a space for people to voice their concerns and hopes and mobilize ‘we the people’ to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
PC MAINE COORDINATOR ADDRESSES CULTURE OF VIOLENCE: (This op-ed appeared in the Bangor Daily News, from Mary Ellen Quinn, Pax Christi Maine) The only positive aspect of the Ray Rice story is that it has brought national attention to issues related to domestic abuse. The horrific videotape depicting the Baltimore Ravens running back’s brutal assault against his female partner makes most Americans cringe. Predictably, we are now hearing about more incidents of abuse by NFL players against women and children. Domestic assault is about control, oppression and domination. It is never justified… Read more at http://bangordailynews.com/2014/09/23/opinion/contributors/at-home-in-football-in-iraq-we-dwell-in-a-culture-of-violence-but-were-not-paying-attention/
Upcoming or Ongoing Events:
Oct. 4-11 – Keep Space for Peace week, http://www.space4peace.org/
Oct. 9 – Bishop Sullivan Virginia Pax Christi region gathering in Richmond, VA
Oct. 10-13: Demand Justice for Michael Brown – Demonstration in Ferguson! http://fergusonoctober.com/
Oct. 17-19 – Pax Christi Michigan’s State Retreat, “Conversations with PCUSA Teacher of Peace Peter Dougherty,” in Roscommon, MI; http://www.paxchristimi.org/#!retreat-2014-registration/c1q8q
Oct. 25-26 – Pax Christi Florida’s State Assembly calling for an end to the death penalty, Tallahassee; http://paxchristiflorida.org/
Nov. 1 – Pax Christi Massachusetts state assembly with Rev. Sam Smith at Holy Cross College on “The Militarization of Our Youth and the ‘I Will Not Kill’ Campaign”; http://paxchristima.org/
Nov. 1 – PC Illinois presents “The Pope Francis Effect: Changing Political Discourse and Challenging the Church of the Global North,” with PCUSA Ambassador of Peace Tom Cordaro, at St. Francis Xavier Church in LaGrange, IL; contact nloetter@comcast.net
Nov. 7-9 – Call To Action in Memphis, TN, http://cta-usa.org/
Nov. 9 – PC Metro D.C.-Baltimore’s Annual Peacemaker Award Dinner, honoring Judith Kelly, in Washington, D.C.; contact jjmchale@verizon.net to make reservations
Nov. 21 – Pax Christi USA at the SOA, “Resisting Militarization of Our Youth—from Central America to Ferguson,” 6pm at the Columbus (GA) Convention Center, room 205 (more info on the PCUSA website soon)
Nov. 21-23 – SOA Vigil and Action, Ft. Benning, GA, http://www.soaw.org
Nov. 30 – Advent begins
Quicklinks:
PC Florida coordinator Nancy O’Byrne and PC International Co-President Marie Dennis were quoted in this story in USA Today on ISIS and recent comments from Pope Francis … Pax Christi Minnesota asks for prayers for Mary Eoloff who is in hospice care … The new documentary on PCUSA Teacher of Peace Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, “American Prophet,” has begun principal photography … Check out the Pax Christi St. Louis website … PC International Co-President Marie Dennis says that nuclear disarmament is “urgent and possible” … In commemoration of Peace Day on September 21, Muskegon (MI) Pax Christi participated in month-long activities as part of a ’30 Days of Peace’ initiative, including the Pinwheels for Peace project, an International Day of Peace Picnic, and a Taize Prayer of Peace Service … PCUSA Teacher of Peace Kathy Kelly addresses the long history of violence that helped to bring the Islamic State into being … Jubilee USA Executive Director and PCUSA Ambassador of Peace Eric LeCompte was featured on NPR’s Interfaith Voices discussing international debt … PCUSA Director of Programs Sr. Anne-Louise Nadeau, SNDdeN wrote this lament over the events in Ferguson … Pax Christi International’s October 2014 newsletter is online … See more local and regional updates in the Summer 2014 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.