Pax Christi Grand Rapids

Active Nonviolence: Building a Peaceful World

2010-02-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

Pax Christi Michigan

29th Annual State Conference

featuring Kathy Kelly

Saturday, 27 March 2010

Mercy High School

Farmington Hills, Michigan

Conference Schedule:

8:15 a.m. Registration

9:00 a.m. Welcome

9:15 a.m. Opening Prayer

9:45 a.m. Kathy Kelly

10:30 a.m. Break/Browsing at displays

11:00 a.m. Workshops—Session I

12:15 p.m. Lunch/Browsing at displays

1:15 p.m. Annual Young Adult Peacemaker Award

Annual Purple Ribbon for Peace Award

2:00 p.m. Workshops—Session II

3:15 p.m. Break

3:30 p.m. Kathy Kelly

4:00 p.m. Q&A

4:15 p.m. Closing Prayer

Workshops:

"Peace Within: Meditation from the Tibetan Buddhist Perspective"

"Abolition NOW! Commitment to a Nuclear Weapons Free Future"

"The Jeanie Wylie House: Building a Neighborhood Peace Community"

"Using Language as a Peacebuilder"

"Networking, Organizing, Advocating for the Homeless: The N.O.A.H. Project"

"Nonviolent Peaceforce: Global Networking for Peace"

"School to Prison Pipeline: An ACLU Initiative"

"The Power of Peace: Creating a Department of Peace"

"Faith That Does Justice: Working for Personal and Social Transformation"

Lunch Workshop Options:

"Building Local Pax Christi Groups"

"Young Adult Movement/YAM Caucus"

"Fair Trade Food"

For more information or to register online, go to www.paxchristimi.org.

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Photo Poster Exhibition

2010-02-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

What will bring about a nuclear weapon-free world?

The will of the people determined to have peace.

Dominican Center at Marywood

Sunday, 21 February through Sunday, 14 March

Admission is Free

Exhibit Hours:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The poster exhibit is organized by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in Japan.

The exhibition consists of posters showing the destruction of the two cities and people from the Atomic Bomb.

The posters will be displayed on the walls in Dominican Center first floor main.

Entrance to the exhibition is on the ground floor—ramp door.

Sunday evening, 28 February, there will be a live webcam internet video conference with an Atomic Bomb survivor living in Japan.

The interview will be held at the John F. Donnelly Conference Center, Aquinas College, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Short films on Hiroshima-Nagasaki and on nuclear disarmament issues will be shown in Dominican Center at Marywood at 3:00 p.m. on the Wednesdays of the exhibition, 24 February and 3 & 10 March and at 12:30 p.m. on the Sundays, 21 & 28 February and 7 & 14 March.

Folding origami paper cranes—a Japanese symbol of world peace.

A great project for children.

Saturday, 27 February at 10:30 & 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 & 2:30 p.m.

There will be a room for quiet reflection.

Volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide a listening ear.

For more information, please contact Diane Zerfas, OP at DZerfas@DominicanCenter.com

List of co-sponsors: Aquinas College, The Green Party of Kent County Committee, Institute for Global Education, Muskegon Area Dominican Associates Faith Sharing Group, Newaygo County People for Peace, Pax Christi Grand Rapids, Plymouth Congregational Church, Beckie Baker, Sr Thomasine Bugala OP, Sue Hood and Anne Vlcek, Sue Ann Jabin, Nancy and Rick Peters, Gloria Switzer, Sr Susanne Tracy OP, Sr Marjorie Vangsness OP.

Meeting Notes: December, January, & February

2010-02-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

Sunday, 6 December 2009

Present: Kate, Marjorie, Mary Pat, Nick

Recollection of the Dorothy Day event.

We need a cache of presentation and table display materials.

Kate has a DVD of Paul Milanowski's commentary on the nuclear video.

MaryPat reports that we will at Barbara Hanson, OP some time after March.

Hiroshima Day preparations coming along well. Publicity blitz will come after New Year.

Need to edit video to shorten.

MaryPat will show it next weekend with NAPF package at Marywood.

Need to add intro material, including Pax Christi info.

MaryPat will pull out old Peace material to add.

Sunday, 3 January 2010

Present: Kate, MaryPay, Marjorie, Kyla, Nick.

Discussion of "The Green House"—community on Eastern Ave.—rehabing and rerenting houses

New Member!

Kyla is a senior at Aquinas; Psychology, Spanish, and Writing major; interested in the Catholic Worker movement; connected to the Peace House in Kalamazoo.

Discussion of Nuclear Weapons videos:

We still need to re-edit our video shorter and add the priests.

Handouts are available.

Check libraries of "Original Child Bomb" video—30 min.—for younger audiences, more experiential than informational.

Also check out "The Day After"—about 25 years old, very scary.

Our veterans noted that it was very effective in Michigan in the 1980s to FOLLOW THE LITURGICAL YEAR for peace actions, prayers, and demonstrations.

So, what are we doing next?

CONFERENCE: JOBS, ENVIRONMENT, AND PEACE

"Think Outside the Bomb" (.org) will be here mid-May—Kyla

Economicology & Peter Wege

Van Jones—ideas

Location: urban, outdoors—Wealthy? IGE parking lot?—block party

Music, speakers, tables

Urban gardening

Intentional Community—Joy?

International Day of Peace

Nick will talk to people in the Wealthy business district about hosting the event.

Sunday, 7 February 2010

Present: Kyla, Kate, MaryPat, Marjorie, Nick.

Think Outside the Bomb will be in GR 18 May.

They are thinking about having their event at the DAAC.

Fall Conference/Festival

Eastown Street Fair—IGE table last year went well

Cranes videos from Japan available

Film

still need to edit and copy

NCR had a good article three weeks ago on nuclear weapons—good information for presentation.

Nick will check with Diocesan Catechetical Office about showing the film at the next Catechetical Conference.

Upcoming Events

Pax Christi Michigan State Conference (see post)

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Photo Poster Exhibition (see post)

Words Against Hunger—annual program at Aquinas College—Sunday, 28 March, 3:00 p.m. in the Moose Café

Our next meeting will be Sunday, 7 March, 4:00 p.m. at Katie's house.

Pax Christi Tecum

Meeting Notes: Sunday, 1 November 2009

2009-11-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

Present: Katie, Nan, Fr Lou, Sr Mary Pat, Sr Marjorie, Nick.

We discussed a few upcoming events:

• IGE's Annual Meeting and dinner was Wednesday, 4 November, 6:00 p.m. at Eastern Christian Reformed Church.

• St Thomas the Apostle Parish in Grand Rapids hosted an event honoring Dorothy Day on Wednesday, 11 November at Circle Theater.

• PCGR is now a cosponsor of Marywood's Hiroshima poster exhibit in February.

We discussed some issues:

• Honduras—situation improving?

• Michael Hoh—Marine turned diplomat who resigned his post in Afghanistan.

We discussed our video:

• It will be shown in Newaygo in February and at the CIC during Lent or the Easter Season.

• We currently have commentary from Fr Lou. We hope to add commentary from other local Catholics. Sr Mary Pat and Kate are inviting new commentators.

• Nick will look into borrowing the resources of DYMO to duplicate the DVD.

• Sr Mary Pat presented some support information for the video.

• Nick suggested an in-depth seminar to train video presenters and putting the video online. Nick will bring his research to the December meeting.

Our next meeting is Sunday, 6 December, the Feast of St Nicholas, 4-6 p.m. at Kate Villaire's house.

Pax Christi Tecum.

Meeting Notes: Sunday, 11 October 2009

2009-11-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

Present: Katie, Fr Lou, Sr Mary Pat, and Terry

We explained about the work we have done on the anti-nuclear video. It was shown to St Andrew’s Justice and Peace group on October 11. Terry suggests we put some links to anti-nuclear groups on our PC GR website. We discussed our blog.

How are we going to use the video? How will Nick use the video? Mark Mann did a pre-packaged program on peace and justice at the Diocese so there is interest. Lou would show ours and promote using it and having someone talk with it. Gloria Swizter wants to show our film in Newaygo.

Terry, Lou, and Mary Pat talked about the will to work for change here in GR. We talked about the ways the film could be used at Aquinas. Terry mentioned that we could use the World Affairs Council. We talked about what and where we can work. Lou mentioned awareness and capacity. We often do not acknowledge or accept.

We saw the film and Lou’s segment. Katie mentioned the annual meeting of IGE will have a program where visions of a peaceful world using the arts and literature.

Mary Pat will get a packet together for info accompanying the viewing of the film for our Nov meeting. The film will be shown at Marywood in Dec. The film has been shown once and will be shown several more times in the near future. We may add a few more endorsers to Lou’s segment.

Pax Christi Tecum.

Meeting Notes: Sunday, 30 August 2009

2009-08-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Present: Katie, Melinda, Michelle, Mary Pat, Marjorie, and Nick.

Secular film complete and in our possession, will add commentary by Lou and publish soon.

schedule Lou for 5:30 or 6:00 on a Thursday at IGE office

will film before monthly IGE talk while we have video equipment on hand

Nick talk to Mary about showing video at CIC

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

www.wagingpeace.org

The Sunflower

Hiroshima Poster exhibit

at Marywood in February

30 posters, plus DVDs from Japan

Pax Christi (all locals) & IGE will cosponsor with Marywood

(during Lent)

Tom Cordaro

Be Not Afraid: An Alternative to the War on Terror

and an update on upcoming treaties and such

Gloria wants to have him speak here sometime before Christmas

PC must sponsor

Maybe use this to spur West Michigan conference

Jobs, Environment, and Peace Conference —some time soon

Saturday, 19 September, all day

Eastown Street Fair

IGE will have tables and activities

PC might be on a table, too

Sunday, 20 September, 2:00 p.m.

Interfaith Prayer Service at Marywood

Monday, 21 September

IGE Peace Vigil at Fulton & Division 4:30-5:30

Picnic in Veterans Park (rain: IGE office) —International Potluck 5:30

Next meeting Sunday, 11 October, 4-6 p.m.

Meeting Notes: March, April, May, and July

2009-08-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the long absence here. This post brings us up to date.

Below you will find my notes from the past four Pax Christi GR meetings—this is what I typed during the meeting with very little editing or explanation. I will offer a summary at the end.

Peace,

Nick

Sunday, 1 March 2009

Present: Katie, Mike, Joe, MaryPat, Marjorie, Nick

Discussion of Video Content:

Open with scary music, images of destruction, video of Hiroshima/Nagasaki.

Manhattan Project, etc. Einstein & Oppenheimer

US moral leadership—with P-5 (UN Security Council)

Idea of Evil—not people or things, ideas and actions

Find common ground

Cost (to maintain nuclear arsenal)

Secure loose nukes

Move toward nuclear free world.

Consistent ethic.

Schedule to complete video:

Outline in April

Details in May

Start script in June

No meetings in July & August -- subcommittees work on production

Try to finish by August

Meet Palm Sunday.

Sunday, 5 April 2009

Present: Katie, MaryPat, Marjorie, Nick

Opening prayer

Notes from Katie on what to avoid in video, outline of video

Moral leadership?

Nuclear Free Zones

Other Christian statements

increased fear? —Be Not Afraid by Tom Cordaro

Outline

Katie will get details on CMC.

Start writing script before May meeting. Have drafts for next meeting, preferably with times.

Katie will have copies made of free DVDs for us to use.

Sunday, 17 May 2009

Present: Katie, Larry,* Jeff,* MaryPat, Marjorie, Theresa,* Nick

*PC Muskegon

Regional Peace Conference

Rosina Hussein(?) presentation on Arab prejudice—Palestinian Christian—great speaker—MSU

West Michigan conference? speaker series? —cooperation among WM local groups

Nuclear weapons DVD

Wayne says to adapt NAPF video, rather than make our own

Using NAPF video, add intro (by Lou) and commentaries by GR Catholic authorities

next meeting 26 July

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Present: Katie, MaryPat, Marjorie, Nick

Nuclear weapons DVD

video complete—edited existing video, will add local Catholic commentary on end

commentators discussed: Aquinas Theology professor? campus ministry? GR Dominicans?

Lou will be first commentator, will be added to all copies

2-3 minute talk, bio

Upcoming events discussed

Hiroshima Day events

Pax Christi Muskegon picnic

International Day of Peace

Fall or Winter Regional Peace Conference with IGE

Next meeting Sunday, 30 August 2009, 4-6 pm.

Summary

For the past few months we have been discussing two projects: a video to be used to educate Catholics in our Diocese on nuclear weapons and a regional conference for pacifists and peace organizations. The initial vision of the video production was a combination of documentary footage and original commentary. Over the course of months, responding to financing and media advice, this plan transformed into the simpler product that we are now finishing: we have, with permission, edited an existing video originally produced for a secular audience and are in the process of adding some local Catholic commentary. We hope to have this project finished in September. It will probably make its way into the local catechetical community in the spring of 2010. The regional conference still in the visionary stage, but we hope to have the first within the year. We have already made contacts with Pax Christi Muskegon and the Institute for Global Education, two organizations that will likely be involved. We are considering topics, speakers, venues, and scale. The currently prevailing idea is to host a conference at Aquinas College this fall or winter on jobs, the environment, and peace.

Meeting Notes: December, January, and February

2009-02-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

Sunday, 7 December 2008

Attending: Marjorie, Kate, Dave, MaryPat, Joe, Mike, Nick

We began with a discussion of the demise of the Big Three automakers, noting that Detroit never recovered from the 1980s.

We then prayed together before launching into the meeting's agenda.

MaryPat shared The Seventh Decade: The New Shape of the Nuclear Danger by Jonathan Schell. We began discussing the idea of producing a video to raise awareness among local Catholics of the nuclear weapons proliferation and disarmament issue.

This devolved into a discussion of the JFK and MLK assassinations.

Your recorder left the meeting early to go to work and has no notes on the second half.

Sunday, 18 January 2009

Attending: Joe, Ryan, Marjorie, Lou, Mike, Kate, MaryPat, Nick

Your recorder arrived at the meeting late from work and has no notes on the first half.

We watched informational videos on the nuclear issue and discussed dos and don'ts for our video.

Sunday, 1 February 2009

Attending: Kate, Mike, MaryPat, Marjorie, Nick

Pray for Joe.

We watched the movie CONVICTION.

We observed the use of spirituality and morality and recognized that these must be central to our video as well. We should avoid politics and anti-military sentiments. We need to confront the perceived need for nukes. We should make the economic argument.

Next meeting: Sunday, 1 March 2009

We will outline our video.

Upcoming Event:

Pax Christi Michigan Annual State Conference

The Fierce Urgency of Now

Saturday, 26 April 2009 in Detroit

Pax Christi Tecum

Meeting Notes: Sunday, 2 November 2008

2008-11-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

Attending: Kate, Larry, Dave, Joy, Joe, Michelle, Mary Pat, Lou, and Nick

We opened with a prayer, led by Fr. Lou, where each of us completed the statement

For the sake of peace, I hope that...

Pax Christi USA has begun publishing a series of periodicals called A New Moment for Nuclear Disarmament. Mary Pat passed out copies. All members are encouraged to subscribe. We will be reading and discussing the current issue in December.

We had an extended discussion of the politics of fear, especially as used by the current administration. These three books were suggested:

Tom Cordaro, Be Not Afraid: An Alternative to the "War on

Terror" (Pax Christi, 2008)

James Douglas, JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why

It Matters (Orbis, 2008)

Jane Mayer, The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on

Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals

(Doubleday, 2008)

Dave also recommended that everyone read Kennedy's address at American University from June 1963.

This was followed by a discussion of hope.

(Those who have lived through such times should share their experience with the younger generation so that the younger generation has hope for a brighter future, rather than nostalgia for the past.)

We discussed ideas for local action and education, including an information campaign in churches and schools and adopting the tactics used by the "Dark Side." Joe will share his information on the Knights of Columbus campaign with the "pro-life" movement (contra FOCA). Mary Pat will share her information on the Dominicans' letter writing campaign. Larry will research contacts for Faith Magazine. We will look into working more closely with Pax Christi Muskegon.

We resolved to remain actively seized of the matter.

Watch this blog for response to the election and any election irregularities.

Upcoming Event

Institute for Global Education Annual Meeting and Potluck

Trinity United Methodist Church on Lake Drive

Wednesday, 5 November, dinner at 5:30 p.m., speaker at about 7:00 p.m.

The speaker is from MSU Law School; she will speak on violence against children.

Pax Christi Tecum

Meeting Notes: Sunday, 5 October 2008

2008-10-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

Attending: Lou, Dave, Mary Pat, Joe, and Nick.

Larry sent his regrets.

Michelle added to the list, although not in attendance.

Arlington Midwest Review:

The WMJPC and GR Dominicans have had recap meetings.

The Ohio organization that owns the exhibit tells us that the Grand Rapids display was the best organized ever. One parent protested the exhibit, but all of the other parents who responded thanked us. The Grand Rapids Press buried its coverage, giving it a small picture with a caption but no article. The rest of the mainstream media was similarly unresponsive, but GRTV was helpful. Word of the exhibit spread by word of mouth and internet publicity. The turnout was relatively good.

Upcoming Events:

We encourage people to join the School of the Americas Watch at Ft. Benning, Georgia on the weekend of 21-23 November. You can find information at www. SOAW.org.

The week after the meeting there was a presentation at Community of Christ Church on Union Ave. of cluster bomb survivors. The survivors are touring the US to promote a ban on cluster bombs as cruel and ineffective weapons. We publicized this at the time.

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing preaching, tribalism in the Church (including sedevacentism), Ratzinger/Benedict, and abortion and the inconsistent ethic of life.

Joe recommended this book for all to read:

Rome Has Spoken: A Guide to Forgotten Papal Statements, and How They Have Changed Through the Centuries, edited by Maureen Fiedler and Linda Rabben (New York: Crossroad, 1998)

Pax Christi Tecum

Meeting Notes: Sunday, 7 September 2008

2008-09-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

Attending: Katie, Annika, Joe, Jean, Erin, Mary Pat, Lou,

Marjorie, Bert, Nick, Larry, and Joy.

Upcoming events:

This Wednesday, 10 September, 7:00 pm:

Vicki Kovari will speak on voting the Common Good at Marywood.

This Thursday, 11 September, 7:00 pm:

"9/11 Voices for Peace" benefit concert for the campaign for a U.S.

Department of Peace will be held at the Unity Church of Peace,

6025 Ada Rd. SE near Cascade.

Go to 9/11 Voices for Peace Concert

for more information and to purchase tickets.

Thursday, 18 September through Monday 22 September:

The Arlington Midwest exhibit visits Marywood.

We are no longer looking for volunteers.

WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO AND SEE IT

AND TELL OTHERS ABOUT IT.

Publicity ideas:

Event fliers to stuff bulletins: Since most parishes cannot print

our material in their bulletins, we could produce inserts and

offer to stuff their bulletins for them. These inserts would have

information about multiple events and programs.

Piggy-back on life issues: October is Respect Life Month (USCCB)

We could use this as an opportunity to join the life conversation.

Prayer opportunities:

This Monday, 8 September, 7:30 p.m.:

Ecumenical Prayer for Peace (Taizé style)

at St. Mary's in Grand Rapids, 423 First St. NW

(Second Monday of every month)

This Thursday, 11 September (and every Thursday), 6:30-6:55 p.m.:

Evening Prayer (Paulist Vespers) with open reflection and petitions

at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Grand Rapids,

265 Sheldon Blvd. SE, St. Ambrose Chapel

Pax Christi tecum

A Brief History of Pax Christi GR by Mary Pat Beatty, OP

2008-09-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

The first local group of Pax Christi USA was formed at Aquinas College in the 1970s. The group was founded by Professor of Theology Vincent DiLalla, who encountered Pax Christi International when he was doing his doctoral studies at Louvain University in Belgium. The Aquinas group sponsored a talk b Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of the Archdiocese of Detroit, one of the founders of Pax Christi USA. The Aquinas Group "faded out" as various members graduated and moved on in their lives.

In October 1982, many individuals worked through the Institute for Global Education to put the Nuclear Freeze referendum on the Michigan November election ballot. Many of the persons involved belonged to peace groups organized through their Christian denominations, such as the Methodist Peace Group and the Episcopal Peace Group. The Roman Catholics who worked on the issue asked hy the Catholic Church had no peace group. Margaret Hillary, OP, and Mary Pat Beatty, OP, told them about Pax Christi USA, a Catholic peace group. Both were members of Pax Christi at the national level. Many individuals were interested, so Margaret and Mary Pat decided to start a local Pax Christi Grand Rapids group. In January 1983, we sent out invitations to persons who had worked in the local Nuclear Freeze movement and members of Pax Christi USA who lived in the area.

Pax Christi Grand Rapids met once a month at the Grand Rapids Dominicans' Marywood mother house. The first task was to form ourselves into a group based on the three-prong tenets of a Pax Christi group: to pray, to study, and then to take action. We were assisted in this by materials published by Pax Christi USA and the Michigan state coordinator, Joan Tirak. Mary Pat attended the state coordinators' meetings held in Lansing about four times a year. The coordinators set goals for the state groups and planned the annual state conference.

Pax Christi Grand Rapids worked on many different issues over its next six years of existence:

† Joined the peace presence at Williams International in Walled Lake, Michigan. Williams International Inc. made engines for Cruise missiles.

† Participated in the Peace Ribbon movement. Several of us went to Washington, D.C. to "tie" the Peace ribbons around the Pentagon and around the Washington Mall on August 4, 1985.

† Studied the death penalty issue. We worked with the Diocese of grand Rapids Jail Ministry office to stop the Death Penalty Referendum from being put on the Michigan November ballot.

† In 1985, the Michigan annual Pax Christi state conference was held in Grand Rapids. The main speakers were Jim and Kathy McGinnis, the founders of the Parenting for Peace and Justice movement. The local group was the main organizer of the event.

† Planned and conducted the January 1 World Day of Peace prayer services held at Dominican Chapel at Marywood from 1985 through 1988.

† Helped plan the city-wide peace prayer services held on Pentecost Sunday for several years sponsored by various local peace groups.

† In 1989, the group helped plan a Faith & Resistance retreat. The main focus of the retreat was to prepare for an act of civil disobedience.

The Pax Christi Grand Rapids group faded out of existence as more of the members became involved in the Faith and Resistance movement while two of the coordinators were changing their ministries and moving out of the Grand Rapids area.