This award is named for Eileen Egan, one of the primary initiators of Pax Christi USA. Eileen was a long-time Catholic Relief Services staff member and sociologist and friend to both Dorothy Day and Mother Teresa. Read more about Eileen here.
The award, established in 2007, is given periodically to honor a group or individual who have given a strong and extraordinary prophetic witness for peace in a time or situation of devastating violence or injustice. The recipient of this award is to exhibit the same spirit associated with Egan: “Steady courage to speak the truth of nonviolence in a world addicted to war-making, deep compassion for the victims of violence and poverty, and unshakeable perseverance to change the world for the better.”
>> Announcing Ralph McCloud as the recipient of the Eileen Egan Peacemaker Award, June 2024. Read the press release here.
Past recipients include:
Camilo Mejía (2007) – The first U.S. soldier to publicly refuse to fight in the Iraq War (2003-2011) as a conscientious objector and a recognized prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. After joining the military in 1995 to get money for college, he spent over 8 years with the Army and the Florida National Guard. Mejía was stationed in Iraq, in an area with heavy Iraqi resistance to the U.S.-led occupation, in 2003. Upon return to the United States, he began questioning whether he could in conscience go back. Mejía stated, “People would ask me about my war experiences and answering them took me back to all the horrors–the firefights, the ambushes, the time I saw a young Iraqi dragged by his shoulders through a pool of his own blood, the time a man was decapitated by our machine gun fire and the time my friend shot a child through the chest. … Coming home gave me the clarity to see the line between military duty and moral obligation. My feelings against the war dictated that I could no longer be a part of it. Acting upon my principles became incompatible with my role in the military and by putting my weapon down I chose to reassert myself as a human being.” Read more here and an article on Mejía at this link.
Rev. Vien The Nguyen, pastor of Mary Queen of Viet Nam Church in New Orleans (2008) – For his and his community’s perseverance during and after Hurricane Katrina, advocating for the resumption of basic services, ensuring a community voice in the rebuilding and organizing a long term effort to return homeowners to the community. During Hurricane Katrina, Rev. Nguyen and his church gave shelter to over 500 people, primarily of Vietnamese descent living in East New Orleans. Following the storm, Rev. Nguyen has been a leader in seeking justice for the people of New Orleans, working to rebuild neighborhoods, and mobilizing his parish community to be advocates and activists in the process. Read the press release here.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (2010) – Recognizing that women religious are the backbone of the Catholic peace and justice movement. These strong, prophetic, and compassionate women are always on the frontlines where the weak and most vulnerable suffer
at the hands of violent and unjust power. They have been our teachers, our guides, our mentors, and our conscience. They have called us to be a people committed to living lives fashioned by the heart of the gospel which Jesus proclaimed. For the dedication to peace and justice which they have shown in our church and to the world, Pax Christi USA recognizes and honors them with this award.” Read the press release here and an article covering the award at this link.