“World Without Nuclear Weapons” Forum Draws more than 1,000 Views

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Our January 27th online forum, “Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative,” which we offered with Pax Christi USA, was a huge success, drawing about 500 participants on the live Zoom call, more than 200 on the Facebook livestream, and many more viewing the video posted below, which is hosted on the Pax Christi USA YouTube account.  If you couldn’t attend, or haven’t viewed it yet, please watch it and spread the link far and wide so as many folks as possible receive this critical message, so clearly expressed by these powerful speakers.

For more information, including a link to specific action items and a list of our 66 co-sponsor groups, please visit the January 27th Forum Page.

PCMA Announces Rep. Jim McGovern’s Participation in our January 27 Forum on Nuclear Weapons

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Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative

An online forum to be held January 27, 2024, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Pax Christi Massachusetts thanks our Representative Jim McGovern for these powerful words and for being part of our forum, “Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative,” to be held this Saturday, January 27, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Zoom, featuring speakers:

  • Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, NM
  • Dr. Ira Helfand, Past president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and a member of the International Steering Board of ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
  • Marie Dennis, Catholic Nonviolence Initiative/Pax Christi International

We have reached our goal of 1,000+ registrants for this forum, which we proudly present with Pax Christi USA, but we know EVERYONE needs to hear these speakers on this topic! If you haven’t already, please use the link below to register!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Click here for downloadable, printable PDF flyer

 

Click here for forum page with complete list of co-sponsors

 

Click here for Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Doomsday Clock Announcement Tuesday January 23

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Massachusetts Rallies to Enforce the Leahy Law – 12 noon in Boston, Worcester & Springfield

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RSVP now to join Tuesday rallies

Simultaneous rallies will be held at noon on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at the Boston, Worcester and Springfield offices of Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy, urging him to enforce the U.S. Leahy Law, which under current circumstances in Gaza and the West Bank, prohibits the shipment of U.S. weapons to the Israel Defense Forces.
 
The rallies have been initiated by the “Leahy Fast for Palestine Committee” in Northampton and are being organized with the gracious help of organizers in western MA, Worcester and Boston. 
 
Several Pax Christi Massachusetts (PCMA) Directors have been participating in the fast over the past month, and PCMA Co-Chair Phil Harak, a member of the PC Western MA local chapter, will address the rally in Springfield.
 
For more details, and to RSVP for the rallies, please visit the “Enforce the Leahy Law Rallies” page on Massachusetts Peace Action’s website.

Registration Now Open for January 27 Forum “Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative”

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Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons:
An Urgent Imperative

An online forum to be held January 27, 2024, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Click here for downloadable, printable PDF flyer

Click here for complete list of co-sponsors

Most Rev. John C. Wester
Archbishop of Santa Fe, NM
Dr. Ira Helfand
Past president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and a member of the International Steering Board of ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Marie Dennis
Catholic Nonviolence Initiative/Pax Christi International
Our online forum, offered in association with Pax Christi USA, will examine the existential threat and moral implications of nuclear weapons, encourage dialogue about solutions, and urge prayer and action from individuals and groups.

SAVE THE DATE! Online Forum — “Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative” JANUARY 27, 2024, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET

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“To love our enemies means we have to begin the process of ending our preparations to kill them, including our preparations to drop nuclear weapons on them.”

—Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace: A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament
A Pastoral Letter by Most Reverend John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe
January 11, 2022, page 16

As we approach the second anniversary of Archbishop Wester’s pastoral letter, cited above, and the third anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entering into force, Pax Christi Massachusetts is planning an online forum on January 27, 2024, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET, entitled Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative, to examine the existential threat and moral implications of nuclear weapons, to enter into dialogue about solutions, and to urge prayer and action from individuals and groups.

Registration details are still being developed, but three powerful speakers have already been secured: Archbishop Wester; Dr. Ira Helfand, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)/Back from the Brink, and Marie Dennis, Catholic Nonviolence Initiative/Pax Christi International. Claire Schaeffer-Duffy of SS. Francis and Therese Catholic Worker, Worcester, will serve as moderator.

We thank and welcome our many co-sponsors for this forum! You can find them all listed here.

Keep watching www.paxchristima.org for the registration opportunity! 

If you have questions about the event, please email paxchristima@gmail.com.

Northampton Peace Activists Initiate Fast for Palestine, and Invite all to Join

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Calling on their neighbors and friends to join them, a coalition of Northampton peace activists initiated a fast for Palestine on December 12, 2023. Pax Christi MA is supporting this effort, which is described in this press release. The fast will be maintained until all of the area’s elected officials support two main demands:

1.      A permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank.
2.      Enforcement by the President and Congress of the Leahy Law with respect to the Israel Defense Forces.  This law prohibits shipment of U.S. weapons to gross violators of human rights.
 
Click here for a descriptive flyer, which includes more background information and contact information for Central/Western MA legislators.
 
Neighbors and friends who wish to show solidarity are invited to join the fasters as outlined in the flyer, join in some modified form (e.g., one day per week) and/or support the fasters with prayer.

Stopping the Genocide in Palestine: A Conversation with Craig Mokhiber, December 9, 2023

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This webinar, presented by PCAP (Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace) and FOSNA (Friends of Sabeel North America), was co-sponsored by Pax Christi MA.

Archbishop John Wester on Dorothy Day and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

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Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, author of Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace: A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament, was in New York City during the last week of November for the Second Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations. While there he offered a Mass at the Church of the Divine Savior on the anniversary of the death of Dorothy Day, November 29. A small but enthusiastic contingent from Pax Christi MA was in attendance. Archbishop Wester’s homily is linked above. Here is the link to his letter, co-signed with other bishops, to the UN meeting

Statement in Support of the Second Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Archbishop Wester’s homily, Mass at Church of the Divine, 11/29/2023

Attending the Mass from Massachusetts were, from left, Christopher Spicer Hankle, Pat Ferrone, Karen Brennan, Linda Taylor, Archbishop John Wester, Madeline Labriola (Rhode Island), and Peter Metz. Also attending but not in the photo: Claire Schaeffer-Duffy, Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, and Dr. Ira Helfand.

Fall Assembly 2023

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Pax Christi MA Fall Assembly

The Fall Assembly was held Saturday, October 28 at St. Susanna Parish in Dedham. Keynote speaker was Rev. Kevin Peterson, founder of the New Democray Coalition and the Faneuil Hall Race and Reconciliation Project. His topic was “Renaming Faneuil Hall: the Role of Public Theology.” An afternoon panel of advocates expanded on the topic, and included Rev. Andre Bennett, President/ECCO; Youth Minister/Zion Baptist, Lynn, Rev. Valerie Copeland, Pastor, Neighborhood Church, Dorchester, and Sr. Linda Bessom, SNDdeN.

The parish hall stage displayed an installation of stones commemorating victims of gun violence arranged by Madeline Champagne and Rita Corey, with assistance from St. Susanna Pax Christi members Blanche Crandall and Pat Ferrone. Pat also  displayed her handmade tributes: long horizontal banners with the names of gun violence victims listed chronologically, and banners honoring past recipients of the Peacemaker Award.