Hear Nobel Prize Nominee and Peace Activist Rev. John Dear
Presentation and Book Signing Oct 8, Oct 9, or Oct 10
Rev. John Dear S.J. is a Jesuit Priest, Peace Activist, Organizer, Lecturer, Retreat leader, and author/editor of 20 books on peace and nonviolence. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. You can hear Rev. Dear at his upcoming presentation and book signing for his latest work, “A Persistent Peace” at the following times and places: Wed., Oct 8, 7:30 pm in Berkeley at St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St.; Thurs., Oct. 9 at 7:30 pm in Burlingame at St. Catherine’s, 1310 Bayswater Ave.; Fri., Oct. 10 at 7:30 pm in Santa Cruz at Capitola Café Bookstore, 1475 41st Ave, Capitola.
World Peace Day, September 21
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt 5:9)
Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In the words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements.” There is a close relationship in Catholic teaching between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.
One of St. Mary’s parishioners, Jeff Buonaccoursi, is promoting a nonprofit organization called Peace One Day, which was started by a British actor and filmmaker. In September 2001 the member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the first-ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence—Peace Day, 21st September. Peace One Day now works to create global awareness of the day and manifest life-saving activity and individual action throughout the world on September 21st each year. Last year, according to the UN, over 100 million people were active on Peace Day, in 192 countries. There were life-saving initiatives in 14 countries and over 80 activities in Afghanistan alone where 1.4 million children were vaccinated against polio.
Let us each consider what we might do to promote world peace on September 21, starting with how we treat each other, and our neighbors here and abroad. For more information, visit www.peaceoneday.org and http://www.osjspm.org/peace.aspx
“Peace must be born of mutual trust between nations rather than imposed on them through fear of one another's weapons. Hence everyone must labor to put an end at last to the arms race, and to make a true beginning of disarmament.” -Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Second Vatican Council, 1965