Sr. Dianna Ortiz, OSU, Deputy Director of Pax Christi USA, enters eternal life

/in /by

On the morning of February 19th, Dianna Ortiz, OSU, deputy director of Pax Christi USA, founder of TASSC, and longtime advocate for peace and justice, passed away after a short illness.  Pax Christi USA’s statement can be found at the below link along with additional resources including her obituary.  Pax Christi Massachusetts joins many others in mourning her untimely death and lamenting her loss to our community.

Statement on the passing of our beloved Dianna Ortiz, OSU

St Susannah’s Pax Christi program on the “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons”

/in /by

The St Susannah’s Parish Pax Christi local group organized and hosted program on the “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” recorded on the day of its ratification by 51 nations, January 22, 2021.

View the Recording of the Pax Christi MA 2020 Virtual Assembly

/in /by

For this year’s Pax Christi Massachusetts Assembly we invited the National Pax Christi Executive Director, Mr. Johnny Zokovitch to be with us.   The assembly was recorded and can be viewed in its entirety when you click the heading of this post.

Due to the pandemic it was a virtual meeting. Johnny has been a member of both the national and the international Pax Christi leadership teams for a number of years. He has worked with the grassroots organizers as well as witnessed some of the major peace initiatives which Pax Christi has been in the forefront of through these years. Johnny reflected on those past and present initiatives and together we we able to start to rediscover hope and resilience amidst this time of chaos.

State Assembly to be held virtually on October 10

/in /by

For this year’s Pax Christi Massachusetts Assembly we have invited the National Pax Christi Executive Director, Mr. Johnny Zokovitch to be with us. Due to the pandemic it will be a virtual meeting. Johnny has been a member of both the national and the international Pax Christi leadership teams for a number of years. He has worked with the grass root organizers as well as witnessed some of the major peace initiatives which Pax Christi has been in the forefront of through these years. Johnny will reflect on those past and present initiatives and share with us some of the great engagements that Pax Christi groups have been doing around our nation and beyond. And we will have the opportunity to share with him initiatives that we here in Massachusetts are engaged in. Together we will enjoy a day that will help us rediscover the resilience and hope that strengthens us in this time of chaos.

Saturday October 10, 2020
11:00am to 12:30pm
Via Zoom

Registration is free. Email Fr. Rocco Puopolo at [email protected] by October 8th and he will send you the link with password inviting you into the meeting.

Program: Opening Prayer and Introductions, Johnny’s presentation, Questions and discussion
Pax Christi Business meeting, concluding remarks and prayer

Co-sponored by the Agape Community

Registration is free. Email Fr. Rocco Puopolo at [email protected] by October 8th and he will send you the link with password inviting you into the meeting.

Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, August 8-9, 2020

/in /by

Pax Christi La Salette is collaborating with La Salette Shrine in Attleboro to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the weekend of August 8-9.  All are invited to make a Peace Ribbon with the theme “What I cannot bear to think of as lost forever…” and drop it off at the Welcome Center information desk.  (See directions at www.thepeaceribbon.org)  These ribbons will be displayed at the Shrine to call attention to the persistent danger of nuclear weapons.  Masses on Saturday evening August 8 at 4:30 pm and on Sunday August 9 at 12:10 pm will include prayers for peace and nuclear disarmament.  For more information, email Elaine at [email protected].

Spring Retreat: Spiritual Resilience & Leadership in a Time of Climate Crisis

/in /by

Saturday, March 28, 2020
Mary Dooley Campus Center, ELMS College
Faculty Dining Room, 291 Springfield Street Chicopee MA
Registration begins at 9:30am Program 10:00 am to 3:30 pm
For parking check out https://www.elms.edu/campus-map/

In the face of ecological crisis, how do we maintain courage and hope? What spiritual practices and perspectives sustain us as we struggle to protect the web of life and to create a more just society? This retreat will explore a framework for the heart to help us become compassionate, prophetic leaders who are willing to take up the mantle of moral leadership that this decisive moment in history requires. Our time together will include presentations, guided meditation, group sharing, and space for solitary reflection and prayer.

Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas is an Episcopal priest, author, and retreat leader who serves as Missioner for Creation Care for both the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and Mass. Conference, United Church of Christ. Rev. Margaret offers encouragement and guidance on creation care topics through articles, sermons and more on her website, www.RevivingCreation.org, which she calls a place “to rest and reflect, to learn and find encouragement.”

2019 State Assembly on Sustainability

/in /by

On November 9, 2019 Pax Christi Massachusetts held our state assembly at Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, MA. Our keynote leader was Fr. Emmet Farrell, Director of the Creation Care Ministry for the Diocese of San Diego. Father Emmet referenced Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si – On Care for Our Common Home” as well as multiple video’s and PowerPoint presentations. The materials that were presented on 11/9/2019 are all available by clicking on the links below.

1-Canticle of Saint Francis
2-Thank You Pope Francis for Laudato Si
3-Truth In Ten – PowerPoint Presentation (No Audio)
4-Video Summary of Laudato Si
5-Study Guide to Laudato Si
6-Methodology for Creation Care Teams
7-Video – How to join the Creation Care Team in the San Diego Diocese
8-Video – Go Make A Difference

 

Spring Retreat on Creating the Contemplative Space that Grounds Us

/in /by

Saturday April 13, 2019
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, Xavier Hall
101 Summer Street, Holliston MA

This year’s retreat leader was Sr. Teresita Weind SNDdeN, Congregational Leader
for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur world wide. Teresita began ministry in
health care as a nurse, but served as pastoral minister and liturgical educator in
Archdiocese of Chicago and director of a house of prayer in Saginaw MI. She has
been congregational leader on a local and now general level since 2005. It
has taken her literally around the world and she will gift that experience with us!

This year’s retreat theme further developed and helped us internalize in prayer challenges and responses found in the recent Pastoral Letter on Racism. http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-
dignity/racism/upload/open-wide-our-hearts.pdf

2018 Appeal for support

/in /by

“Peace firstly means there are no wars … but it also means that there is friendship between all, that every day a step ahead is made for justice, so that there are no more children who are hungry, that there are no more sick children who do not have the possibility of receiving healthcare. Doing all of this means making peace. Peace involves work, it is not about staying calm and doing nothing. No! True peace means working so that everyone has a solution to the problems, to the needs, that they have in their land, in their homeland, in their family, in their society.” — Pope Francis

Dear Members of Pax Christi Massachusetts,

As our calendar year is coming to an end, we once again reach out to you for your support.  Your continued generosity has assisted all our work, as we try to practice the way of nonviolence and aspire for peace and justice.  Since Pax Christi Massachusetts does not charge membership dues, we depend on donations to fund our Annual Retreat, our Annual Assembly, our semi-annual newsletters, and our grants to new local groups that are beginning the work of Pax Christi Massachusetts.

This past April we held a spring retreat at Elms College in Chicopee and were thrilled to see an excellent participation level.  Western Massachusetts really hit it out of the park!  Fr. Warren Savage facilitated what proved to be a profound experience as we reflected on the theme Witnessing the Roots of Peace in a World of Discord and Hate. In October, we gathered for our Annual Assembly at St. Malachy Parish in Burlington where Erin Freeborn and Candace Julyan from the Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) engaged us in thoughtful discussion and reflection about the positive changes in society that restorative justice practices can yield.  Pax Christi Massachusetts also co-sponsored this year’s Annual St. Francis Day at Agape and published two comprehensive newsletters that highlighted several social justice initiatives happening in our state.

We know that you receive numerous requests for charitable contributions this time of year.  We would be very grateful if you could help out. No donation is too small. Please consider writing a tax-deductible check to Pax Christi Massachusetts and sending it to 6 Bolser Avenue, Natick MA 01760.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Gobron
Treasurer, Pax Christi Massachusetts

Steadfast Hope: The Palestinian Quest for Just Peace

/in /by

Pax Christi MetroWest and Mass. Peace Action are sponsoring a 3-part Study Group about the Palestine / Israel conflict, based on research by scholars in both America and the Middle East.

The conflict in the Middle East, especially Israel / Palestine, is currently often in our news media.  But most Americans do not know the history and current realities of this conflict, and as importantly, steps toward peace in the region that we can take locally.

The Study Group discussions will focus on the informative book, Steadfast Hope: The Palestinian quest for Just Peace  and a companion DVD.  These resources are researched, written, and published by the national Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches.

This 46 page booklet and DVD will be available prior to the start of each 3-series meetings.    Each discussion meeting will take about 90 minutes.

Currently a new Study Group will meet at the Xaverian House of Prayer / Fatima Shrine in Holliston on three Friday afternoons at 4 PM, usually lasting a bit over an hour.

November 30, December 7, and December 14.

101 Summer Street    Holliston, MA  01746

The purpose of the Pax Christi MetroWest group is to work toward peace, justice, and equality with a special focus on Palestine / Israel.    We do this by:

  1. Educating ourselves and others about nonviolent ways toward peace, especially in the Middle East and
  2. Taking prayer-based action based on the facts we have learned.

To let us know you are interested in attending or for questions please contact:

[email protected] or Fr. Rocco Puopolo at frrocco@xaverianmissionaries.org .