The Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action (CNDA) are celebrated each year between September 21, the International Peace Day and October 2, the International Day of Nonviolence and Gandhi’s birthday. This is a busy time for all of us, with the Season of Creation, Campaign Nonviolence, and the Week of Prayer for Peace in Palestine & Israel all taking place during the same period.
This year’s CNDA theme, connects with the 80th anniversary theme of Pax Christi International, “Building bridges for tomorrow.” Since its founding in 1945, Pax Christi has been dedicated to building bridges — of reconciliation after war, of dialogue across difference, and of solidarity in the face of injustice. This anniversary is not simply a look back, but a renewed call to action, drawing strength from 80 years of faithful witness and pointing toward a more just and peaceful world.
Click here to read more, see resources, and find out how to participate in the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action with the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, a project of Pax Christi International.
- September 18, 8:30 PM Eastern (online): Start off the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action a few days early with our quarterly PAX Mass, with celebrant Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, NM.
- September 18, 7:30 PM Eastern: America’s shame: Facts about gun violence in the US, part of Pax Christi Little Rock’s speaker series. In person at 6:30 PM Central: Fitzgerald Hall, Room 101, 2414 N. Tyler Street, Little Rock, AR, or on Zoom.
- September 22-October 27: Catholic Nonviolence Initiative Fall Series 2025, “The world will be saved by beauty: Nonviolence and the transformative power of the arts.” This six-week series, crafted especially for university students, aims to explore the power of the arts in helping shape a culture of peace and nonviolence. Events are scheduled for Mondays, September 22, 29, October 6, 13, 20 and 27, starting at 7 PM Eastern.
- October 1, 4-5 PM Eastern: The Pax Christi International Fund for Peace invites all to an online conversation between Marie Dennis and Carolyn Townes OSF on how nonviolence leads us into a new and hopeful way of being. Use this link to register.
- Anytime: Make plans to renew the Vow of Nonviolence, either individually or as a group. Use this new guide from the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative to organize a Vow of Nonviolence service.
Hosting an action in your area? Use this link to share it with Campaign Nonviolence’s calendar.
>>Use this link to see the full list of events.
Resources to help plan your Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action
- Vow of Nonviolence prayer service, for your community, small group, or parish
- Pope Francis’s prayer for a culture of nonviolence (YouTube recording)
- Eucharist for Gospel nonviolence (Eucaristía del Evangelio de la noviolencia)
- Peace with Creation, a Catholic liturgical guide for the 2025 Season of Creation
For resources from Pax Christi USA’s past participation in the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action, click below:
Find more on our work to promote nonviolence at this link.