Project promotes peace

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Posted March 13, 2003

Every year the Diocesan Peace and Justice Action Commission selects a particular area of focus. When the group met last June, even before the likelihood of war was so apparent, they opted to center their efforts on peace.

"The fall deanery meetings were geared to the U.S. bishops' pastoral statement on Living With Hope and Faith After Sept. 11," noted Bernadette Rixner, chair of the commission. "At those meetings we talked about some of the different documents on peace that the bishops had provided."

At about the same time as their fall meetings, the U.S. bishops sent a letter to President George Bush stating that the war was not justified. When the bishops met in November, they issued a full statement.

"It seemed that we had selected the right focus," said Rixner, who stressed that the work of the work of peace and social justice that the commission and parish groups strive for is all based on Catholic social teaching.

In addition, time after time in recent months, Pope John Paul II has expressed his hope for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution in Iraq. He asked that Catholics focus their Lenten prayers on peace.

The pope issued a statement on Jan. 1 in conjunction with the World Day of Peace. His message focused on the 40th anniversary of a document, Peace on Earth, by John XXIII from 1963.

Rixner was particularly impressed by these words of Pope John Paul II in his statement, "In the end, peace is not essentially about structures but about people. Certain structures and mechanisms of peace ... of course are necessary and do exist but they have been derived from nothing other than the accumulated wisdom and experience of innumerable gestures of peace made by men and women throughout history that have kept hope and have not given into discouragement. Gestures of peace spring from the lives of people who foster peace, first of all in their own hearts, they are the work of the heart and of reason in those who are peacemakers."

With that in mind, the Diocesan Peace and Justice Action Commission put together a packet of information containing suggestions that individuals, families and/or parishes could do in order to make their own gestures of peace.

They prepared the mailing while peace efforts were still being made to prevent war in Iraq. Regardless of the outcome, noted Rixner, the information is relevant because as the Constitution of the Church in the Modern World states, "Peace is not merely the absence of war."

Individuals must strive for peace within their homes and communities, she noted. Whether or not the country goes to war, the work of peace does not stop.

While peacemaking is often seen as passive, she said peacemaking should be looked upon as active work.

"We need to be making peace," said Rixner. "We need to be out there finding ways to bring more peace into the world."

One of the suggestions included in the mailing were to pray for peace daily. In the home, an individual may consider placing a candle or other symbol on their table as a reminder of peace. Perhaps they could begin a weekly parish holy hour or rosary for peace.

Another suggestion requested that people read/learn about the church's teaching on peace, nonviolence and war. Parishioners can check out the United States Catholic Conference Web site at www.nccbuscc.org for documents or the Vatican Web site at www.Vatican.va to read some of the pope's recent statements on peace.

The mailing contains several other suggestions that provide ideas for both personal use or use within various parish groups. It was sent to pastors, peace and justice contact people and others who have been identified as people who have promoted peace efforts and projects within parishes.

"We tried to time it so that people would get it at the beginning of Lent," noted Rixner. "We hope that whatever parishes start during Lent, they continue afterwards or parishes may use the information at any time."

The mailing included a short version of the Gestures of Peace, with five suggestions, that could be copied and attached to bulletins. A longer version expands on possible activities and on social justice quotes.

For more information, contact Rixner at (712) 258-7855 or Marilyn Murphy, social concerns facilitator of the diocese, at (712) 252-4547.