>> Click here to give to Phyllis’s appeal today. THANK YOU!
Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace and former staff member Phyllis Turner Jepson has a special request during this holiday season:
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer
As someone who has served Pax Christi USA as a National Council member, staff team member, regional organizer, and Ambassador of Peace, I am deeply grateful for this community. Whether we’ve met personally or not, your steady commitment keeps our mission vibrant.
This Christmas, I’m writing with both gratitude and urgency. The need for peacemaking has never been greater—and your partnership has never mattered more.
The world crying out for peace
Consider what we’re witnessing right now:
- Climate devastation: Rising heat and extreme weather are displacing entire communities, with the most vulnerable suffering most
- Crushing inequality: The richest 10 percent control 76 percent of global wealth while half the world owns merely two percent
- Immigration injustice: Mass deportations and militarized enforcement strip millions of their fundamental dignity
- Gun violence: Through September 2025, the US has endured 304 mass shootings, leaving more than 1,650 people killed or wounded
- Global conflicts: From Ukraine and Gaza to Sudan and Congo, millions face unimaginable suffering
My friend, these aren’t abstract statistics—they’re our neighbors, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
How your Christmas gift to Pax Christi USA creates change
Your support makes possible the work that transforms these realities:
- Education and training in nonviolence and anti-racism rooted in Catholic social teaching that changes how communities handle conflict
- Public witness against war, racism, and injustice that amplifies the voices of those most affected
- Practical resources that help communities live Christ’s peace more fully in their daily lives
- Formation programs that nurture the next generation of peacemakers
Every dollar you give becomes a concrete tool for building the peace our world desperately needs.
Why this Christmas matters
I’ll be honest with you: like many organizations, we’re facing financial headwinds. Rising costs and unpredictable giving mean we’re being called to do more work with fewer resources. But rather than pulling back, we’re leaning in—because the mission is too urgent to wait for easier times.
Your Christmas gift—whether $35, $100, $250, or whatever amount reflects your circumstances—will help ensure we can continue this essential work through 2026 and beyond. This is the moment when your partnership makes the greatest difference.
You are the light
As part of our Pax Christi USA family, you inspire others to believe that peace isn’t just envisioned but lived—where every person is valued and violence is replaced with justice.
Let us echo the angels’ song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of goodwill.”
Will you make your Christmas gift today?
With deep gratitude and prayers for a blessed Christmas,
Phyllis Turner Jepson
Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace
>> Click here to give to Phyllis’s appeal today.
PS: If you prefer to send in a check, it can be made out to Pax Christi USA, 415 Michigan Ave. NE, Suite 340, Washington, DC 20017-4503, attn: 2025 Christmas Appeal.
If a financial gift isn’t possible for you right now, there are so many ways to stay involved with Pax Christi USA: volunteering with a local group, staying on our email list to find out about upcoming events, or keeping us in your prayers. Whatever you can give or contribute, thank you so much for your generous support of our mission!