The authors for 2015 for the annual Pax Christi USA booklet of Advent reflections have been selected. Pax Christi USA is pleased to announce that this year’s authors are Fr. John Rausch, glmy and Nelson Araque.
Fr. Rausch is a Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace, recognized in 2007. He currently lives in Stanton, Kentucky. He has served as the director of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, where he lives and has worked for over 35 years. He organized three worker-owned businesses in Central Appalachia, and taught with Coady International Institute, the Appalachian Ministries Educational Resource Center, plus organized the Mountain Management Institute to serve the business needs of Appalachian cooperatives. A strong environmentalist, he speaks out against the devastation of mountaintop removal and advocates for sustainable economic development. He has written a monthly syndicated column called “Faith and the Marketplace” that has appeared in diocesan newspapers.
Mr. Araque was born in Colombia and has worked as a catechist and theology teacher at various schools in the U.S., Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico. He is the Hispanic Liaison for the Catholic Climate Covenant, serving as one of their Catholic Climate Ambassadors. He currently teaches theology at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, online theology courses for the University of Dayton’s Comunidad Cibernética Para la Formación en la Fe (CCFF) and for the School of Theology and Ministry at St. Thomas University in Miami, FL. He is pursuing a doctorate degree in Theology at Barry University; his research interests are Environmental Theology and Hispanic Latino/a Theology.
Fr. Rausch will be writing the Sunday and Holy Day reflections; Mr. Araque will be writing the daily reflections. This year’s theme will be human rights and global restoration.
Pax Christi USA’s Advent booklet has been one of its best-selling resources since it’s introduction in the mid-Eighties. It is an excellent resource for individual and small group reflection.
The Advent 2015 reflection booklet will be available for pre-orders beginning July 8, 2015 through September 17, 2015. An electronic sample of the booklet will be available at that time.