Staying the course: 2024 in review

By Charlene Howard
Pax Christi USA Executive Director

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” Quincy Jones, masterful musician and lyricist wrote, “Everything must change. Nothing stays the same. Everyone will change. No one stays the same.” And so it was in 2024 – so much change took place! Yet, we have come through it steadied by the longevity of our mission and more than 50 years of resolve to be a prophetic voice of peace through the practice of Gospel nonviolence.

In January 2024, Johnny Zokovitch announced that he would resign by July. We are deeply grateful for Johnny – he has made a lifelong commitment to Pax Christi, with more than 30 years of experience at the campus, local, national, and international levels. As executive director, Johnny’s innovation and skillfulness enlarged the national staff and programming commensurate with the needs of our movement. We will be forever thankful to Johnny and continue to pray for God to bless him.

Navigating shifting times can be disconcerting but Pax Christi USA is resilient because of our grassroots, the people in the state, regional and local groups, the heart and soul of the movement. What follows are some highlights of the work accomplished in the face of changes we experienced in 2024. As you read on, be inspired and encouraged to keep working for peace through nonviolent means, putting faith into action:

JANUARY: The Bread Not Stones campaign wrapped up after an amazing effort by members around the country to bishops to endorse the Bread Not Stones statement … We filed an amicus brief in support of a New Jersey bill that prohibits private and public facilities from entering into new detention contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and prevents the facilities from renewing their current contracts once they expire … Pax Christi Massachusetts, with assistance from the national office, offered a two-hour online forum with almost 1,000 participants on the urgent need for nuclear disarmament … We co-sponsored a “Faith in Democracy” interfaith vigil, a hybrid event designed to lift up the democratic process in direct response to the events of January 6, 2021.

FEBRUARY: We sold out (3,000 copies) of our Lenten reflection booklet by Frida Berrigan, A Fast that Matters … The Pax Christi USA Young Adult Caucus (PCYAC) Literary Circle for Liberation read Kaitlin Curtice’s book Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day … On Ash Wednesday, Pax Christi USA held a Mass, celebrated by Pax Christi USA 2023 Teacher of Peace Fr. Joe Nangle, outside the White House to call for a ceasefire in Gaza … Pax Christi members joined stages of a week-long pilgrimage for a ceasefire which started in Philadelphia and ended in Washington, DC … We started our weekly Lenten online prayer services.

MARCH: Pax Christi USA members participated in an 11-person pilgrimage of reconciliation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki … Stephen Niamke joined the national staff as our new National Field Organizer … We signed onto an open letter calling for ceasefire and a halt to US arms sales to Israel … Pax Christi members across the country participated in a March 18 day of action to demand a ceasefire … We promoted a campaign with Veterans for Peace, urging State Department employees to resist participation in the genocide against Palestinians … National staff led a webinar connecting US foreign policy in Palestine and the Philippines … We held our first quarterly PAX Mass celebrated by Fr. Francis Gargani.

APRIL: Pax Christi USA mourned the loss of our first bishop president, Bishop Tom Gumbleton, who died on April 4 … Pax Christi members joined the Christians for a Free Palestine activities on Capitol Hill in Washington DC … Pax Christi USA and Pax Christi Michigan members were part of the capacity crowd that attended the funeral of Bishop Gumbleton in Detroit … Pax Christi USA supported the Discerning Deacons online synodal conversation on the restoration of the permanent diaconate for men and women.

MAY: We held a prayer service outside the White House for a ceasefire in Gaza and to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the US Catholic bishops’ pastoral letter, “The Challenge of Peace” … Pax Christi USA was deeply involved with circulating and promoting an open letter from US Catholics to President Biden, urging him as a fellow Catholic to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to arms sales to Israel … Peace Pair Janice Vanderhaar and Tiffany Hunsinger created and facilitated a two-part interactive series, “Challenging conversations: Intergenerational nonviolent peacemaking through difficult times”… Pax Christi USA and Pax Christi International staff traveled to Iowa for visits with supporters and colleagues, including religious sisters’ communities, college campuses, two bishops, parishes, diocesan offices, and Catholic Worker communities … Mary Catherine Bunting was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Teacher of Peace award for her philanthropic and personal work for peace … Pax Christi USA supported the International People’s Tribunal finding the Marcos and Duterte regimes of the Philippines guilty of massive war crimes.

JUNE: We were honored to accepted the inaugural Dorothy Day Peacemaker Award at an event held during the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) meetings, held in Louisville … Pax Christi USA announced Ralph McCloud as the latest recipient of the Eileen Egan Peacemaker Award, in recognition of his years of service for justice and peace … While in Louisville, Pax Christi USA held a public witness in support of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which had been gutted due to layoffs and restructuring at the USCCB … Our quarterly PAX Mass was celebrated by National Council treasurer Fr. Fred Thelen, with a special focus on torture survivors.

JULY: Charlene Howard and Daniel Francis joined the Pax Christi USA staff as the new Executive Director and Director of Development respectively … Anselmo Lee from Pax Christi Korea visited the Washington, DC office and spent two days with the national staff … Johnny Zokovitch was celebrated at a farewell party with a cadre of colleagues, family, and friends … Pax Christi USA co-sponsored a conference entitled “Teresa of Ávila and Peacemaking in a Nuclear Age: A Contemplative Conversation.”

AUGUST: Charlene Howard, Bishop John Stowe and Director of Operations Iyana Turner-Vance provided recorded messages for the inaugural Nagasaki Catholic Peace Forum, held August 10 in Japan. (These videos are available to watch on Pax Christi USA’s YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/@PaxChristiUSA.) … PCYAC published its inaugural zine, The Rose and the Barbed Wire, and held its annual summer retreat in Washington DC … Michelle Sherman, Pax Christi USA’s Project Director, was a speaker in an online event, “Advancing Nonviolence in Challenging Times,” co-sponsored with Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service.

SEPTEMBER: Pax Christi USA held its virtual conference on September 6-7 with the theme,“We are one body: Being a prophetic Church in a time of polarization and conflict” … Ambassador of Peace Scott Wright joined the staff as an Ignatian volunteer to lead our efforts on immigration … Pax Christi USA issued a public statement in response to the execution of Marcellus Khaliifah Williams in Alabama, the 1,600th state-sanctioned execution since the death penalty’s reinstatement in 1977

… National staff gathered in Washington, DC for its Dream Week to create a work plan for the coming year … Ambassador of Peace Fr. Chris Ponnet celebrated PAX Mass, which was preceded by a report back by Jessica Sun, Bob Shine, and Scott Wright about their August delegation to Palestine … Pax Christi USA, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, and Casa Esther Catholic Worker offered  a six-week (mid-September through mid-October) online series for students focused on nonviolence and synodality, with special attention on the current Synod on Synodality taking place within the Catholic Church.

OCTOBER: In our new office space (just upstairs from our old one), Pax Christi USA hosted a hybrid brown-bag lunch/live-stream presentation with Amira Musallam, a Palestinian peace advocate, and Mel Duncan, co-founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce on the importance of unarmed civilian protection, particularly in regards to Palestine … Pax Christi USA revitalized its anti-racism team (PCART) by conducting the first of two training sessions for the inaugural cohort of members.

NOVEMBER: We started the month with a prayer service outside the White House calling for a ceasefire; members of the national council were in attendance as the fall meeting of the council took place that weekend … After a second training session, 13 individuals of various ages, locales and ethnicities formed the new PCART team to guide Pax Christi USA in becoming an anti-racist movement at all levels … Bishop Stowe offered a post-election message encouraging members of the Pax Christi USA movement to consider what they are willing to risk in hope in the changing political landscape of our country … Pax Christi USA joined more than 400 religious, faith and values-based individuals and organizations endorsing the interfaith appeal “Protecting Our Common Climate System: Earth Governance for a Sustainable Future,” presented to the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29).

DECEMBER: Pax Christi USA printed a new prayer card, using a prayer for nuclear disarmament written by Sr. Diane Smith, especially to commemorate the upcoming 80th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of Japan … Leslye Colvin authored our 2024 Advent booklet, “Seeking Wisdom’s Light”… Pax Christi USA endorsed letters to President Biden urging him to take action to secure debt relief for poor countries … PCYAC held its annual Lenten online retreat … Our final quarterly PAX Mass was celebrated by Bishop Stowe … We were heartbroken to say goodbye to two dear friends of the national office, Donna Grimes, Ambassador of Peace and former National Council member, who passed away on December 10, and Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, our 2023 Teacher of Peace, who passed away on December 14. We are grateful for their lives of consistent, humble, joyful service to building the nonviolent, peaceful community. Donna and Fr. Joe, ¡Presente!