This year, eighteen individuals were nominated to receive the Pax Christi USA 2016 Teacher of Peace Award.
Each year, Pax Christi USA honors an outstanding peacemaker in the tradition of Sr. Thea Bowman, Dan Berrigan, Cesar Chávez, Dianna Ortiz, Dorothy Day, Ray East, Bishop Gumbleton, and Pope Paul VI. This award recognizes women and men whose lives and work exemplify the theme of Pope Paul VI’s World Day of Peace message, “To reach peace, teach peace.”
“Everyone who was nominated this year was an excellent candidate and had compelling reasons to be chosen as this year’s Teacher of Peace,” stated Johnny Zokovitch, Pax Christi USA Director of Communications and a member of the Teacher of Peace nominations committee. “It’s always difficult to choose a single person when each one, in her or his own unique way, is living out the call to gospel nonviolence in witness to the peace of Christ. Each of the nominees is really a Teacher of Peace.”
The Pax Christi USA National Council, following consultation with the Nominations Committee, makes the final decision regarding this year’s Teacher of Peace. Later this week, the 2016 Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace will be announced. This year’s recipient will receive the award at Pax Christi USA’s national gathering to be held in Linthicum, MD in August.
Following is a list of this year’s nominees (listed in alphabetical order):
- David Atwood
- Rose Marie Berger
- Fr. John Dear
- Sr. Jean Fallon
- Fr. Seamus Finn
- Martha Hennessy
- Patrick Kennelly
- Art Laffin
- Bishop Robert McElroy
- Matthew Marshall
- Jane Morrissey
- Sr. Kay O’Neill
- Sr. Jamie Phelps
- Deacon Jim Rauner
- Sr. Megan Rice
- Fr. Richard Rohr
- Bishop Peter Rosazza
- Timothy Stiven
Pax Christi USA congratulates each of the nominees and gives thanks for their work on behalf of peace with justice.
Yes, all first rate people who teach peace and justice–we know them by their acts like Sr Megan Rice who for decades worked with the poor of West Africa and just this past year was released from federal prison where she was incarcerated for over two years for what the US Government said was the greatest breach of nuclear facilities in history…her nonviolent entry into the plutonium storage works of Oak Ridge, Tn
Quite a list – a veritable Communion of Saints…Why Bishop McElroy? It is a rare event when one of our bishops does the Prophet thing, and speaks truth to power. Sadly, the usual thing is for them to be timid and hang in the background. McElroy spoke boldly, and hopefully will be a model for this brother bishops.