During the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020, Pax Christi USA began offering monthly PAX Masses as an opportunity both for our national community to gather together and to lift up that intersection between our liturgical worship and the call to discipleship that demands we work for peace with justice in our world. Starting in September 2022, we moved the monthly PAX Mass to a quarterly schedule, celebrating together each season throughout the year.
>> Click here to register to receive the Zoom link for PAX Masses in 2024.
One lesson that the pandemic taught us is just how important the opportunity to gather is, how much it means to partake in actions of solidarity, how vital it is to be part of a community. We hope that you will join us to gather and celebrate together no matter where you are.
Find links to videos of our past PAX Masses below:
2024
- March 21 – Celebrated with Fr. Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R. Use this link to see the program for this Mass.
2023
- December 21 – Join the Pax Christi USA community in celebrating the Eucharist in solidarity with those suffering in Gaza while also lifting up the call for a #ceasefirenow.
- September 21, International Day of Peace – Celebrated with Fr. Joe Mattern, founder of Casa Esther Catholic Worker, Omro WI.
- June 22 – Celebrated with Fr. Jim Martin, editor-at-large at America Magazine and editor at Outreach. Special focus was the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Pride Month.
- March 23 – Celebrated with Archbishop Tony Ledesma, bishop emeritus of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Special focus was global solidarity.
2022
- December 22 – Celebrated with Pax Christi USA Bishop-President Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv, in celebration at the closing of our 50th anniversary year and the Advent season.
- September 22 – Celebrated by Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace Rev. Joe Nangle, ofm and falling during the Bread Not Stones Days of Action (Sept. 19-26), we lift up our work to redirect military spending to address human needs, the climate crisis, systemic racism, and more.
- June 23 – Celebrated by Fr. Johnpaul Cafiero and dedicated to LGBTQ+ folks who have suffered violence and oppression
- May 26 – Celebrated by Fr. Everett Pearson, remembering George Floyd (technical difficulties interrupted the recording of this Mass)
- April 28 – Celebrated by Fr. Frank Breen, MM, and dedicated to Earth Month
- March 24 – Celebrated by Fr. Fred Thelen, Pax Christi USA National Council member, in memory of the life and witness of Saint Oscar Romero
- February 24 – Celebrated by Fr. Charlie Chilufya, sj, Coordinator of the Africa Task Force of the Vatican Covid-19 Commission, addressing global vaccine equity.
- January 27 – Celebrated by Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace Fr. John Dear and amplifying the pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament by Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, NM.
2021
- December 23 – Celebrate the imminent birth of Jesus with Pax Christi USA members from across the nation by wearing your festive attire, bringing out the decorations, and sharing your favorite ornament. We’re excited to have Fr. Rocco Puopolo of PC Massachusetts join us as celebrant.
- November 23 – This mass was dedicated to the cause of Palestinian liberation and celebrated with Fr. Elias Mallon, SA.
- October 28 – Celebrated to mark the end of the Caravan of Mothers of Disappeared Migrants. This Peace Mass will be celebrated in Spanish (with English language interpretation available) with Fr. Johnathan Castelblanco, SJ.
- September 23 – Celebrated in support of the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action. This Peace Mass will incorporate the “Eucharist of Gospel Nonviolence,” a new rite initiated by the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests and celebrated tonight for the first time, with Fr. John Heagle presiding.
- August 26 – This month we focused on the issue of nuclear disarmament, framed by the anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from the beginning of this month and the August 29 International Day Against Nuclear Tests. Fr. Raymond Tetrault of Pax Christi Rhode Island served as celebrant.
- July 22 – Together we mourn the lives of Indigenous children who have been and will continue to be found in mass graves in residential ‘schools’ in various parts of North America. Our reflection during this Mass served as a grounding activity that will guide our actions to achieve a formal apology and reparations by the leadership of our Church. Fr. Joe Nangle, ofm accompanied us as celebrant.
- June 24 – We will be celebrating the lives and witness of our LGBTQI+ community in our movement and the church. Celebrant is Fr. Chris Ponnet of Pax Christi Southern California who is the pastor at the St. Camillus Center for Pastoral Care which has actively been ministering with gay and lesbian Catholics since 1986.
- May 27 – We will be celebrating Mary, mother of the liberator, model of courage, wellspring of peace, and women’s leadership in the discipleship community. Program Director Roxana Bendezú will be offering a special reflection and our presider will be Fr. Bob Cushing.
- April 22 – We will be celebrating International Mother Earth Day. Let us fill our spirits with courage and joy to continue organizing to change the systems that are damaging creation, including us, human beings. Fr. Jacek Orzechowski, OFM, will be our celebrant.
- March 25 – Celebrated by our Bishop-President, Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., our first Peace Mass was dedicated to the memory of Dianna Ortiz, OSU, Pax Christi USA Deputy Director and 2000 Teacher of Peace Award recipient. Dianna transitioned home on February 19, 2021.
These have been graced moments where we have been able to sustain our communion with one another and Christ across the nation and around the world. Thank you for doing this. We realize that it takes careful planning and coordination to make it happen. We thank all who made it possible!