NATIONAL COUNCIL: New members elected, appointed to the Pax Christi USA National Council

by Johnny Zokovitch, Director of Communications

Three new council members have been elected and one current member has been appointed to the Pax Christi USA National Council.

From the at-large slate of candidates, Pax Christi Anti-Racism Team member Isaac Chandler and Sr. Regina Ann Brummell, CSJ have been elected to three-year terms. From the regional slate, Nancy Oetter, Pax Christi Illinois state coordinator, was elected. Additionally, Olga Sarabia of Pax Christi Southern California has been appointed to continue for another year on the council.

Isaac Chandler is a high school biology teacher from Florida. He has worked with the Pax Christi Anti-Racism Team for ten years, the Youth and Young Adult Forum, and served on the Planning and Programming Committee for the 2012 National Assembly in Atlanta, GA.

“Even though our world has changed, we are still being confronted with similar problems which may appear to be separate, yet they are bound together by common themes of domination, subjugation, avarice, and misuse of power,” stated Chandler. “In times like this, people of faith must rise up, speak up, lift up, and act. Pax Christi must continue to be a vehicle for Catholics and our allies to begin to live out our gospel values for the glory of the Lord.

“I believe that Pax Christi can live out its organizational commitment to Christian nonviolence, multiculturalism, and anti-racism by encouraging its members to educate Christians in their communities to pray and work constantly for justice throughout the world, with special attention to immigration justice,” stated Sr. Brummel, a Sister of St. Joseph of Concordia, KS.

Sr. Regina Ann has been an educator for many years, teaching predominantly in inner cities and American Indian reservations. She has led in the development of a tribal high school and two tribal colleges, and is teaching at Turtle Mountain Community (tribal) College in North Dakota.

Elected from the regional slate, Nancy Oetter’s education is in Business Administration and Political Science. She worked with the U.S. Department of Energy for over 31 years in Budget and Financial Management and has been the co-coordinator for the Illinois region of Pax Christi since 2009

“My vision of Pax Christi USA is a vital, diverse organization that is sought out for its expertise in nonviolent, multi-cultural, anti-racist education and activism. We should be an organization that partners with groups of all faiths and peace seekers that work for systematic change in our communities to build justice,” stated Oetter.

Appointed to another term, Olga Sarabia has been a member of the PCUSA National Council on 3 occasions over the years. She is a first generation PCART member and also has been on the Southern California PC Leadership Team since 2004. She has been a participant in the Muslim and Catholic Women in Conversation for 4 years, giving annual conferences to the community at large on Interfaith Relations.

For a complete list of current council members, click here.