The Spiritus Christi Peace Committee is a thriving group of diverse and dedicated peacemakers passionately committed to pursuing peace. Beginning with our own personal work of learning the way of nonviolence, to community activism, and  sponsoring international speakers, we strive to live out the gospel message of Jesus found in the beatitudes, ”Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.”

Beyond the dozen or so antiwar protests, vigils and national peace marches several of the Peace Committee members, parish members and church leadership have participated in, below is a list of some of the activities we have facilitated, created or sponsored. There are many more planned for the year ahead.

Fall 2006
Declaration of Peace

  • The Peace Committee gathered 265 signed petitions from the parishioners then presented them to the appropriate elected officials. Spiritus Christi had the largest number of signed petitions of any churches in the Greater Rochester Area.


Summer 2007
 The Peace Committee

  • The Peace Committee sponsored a Mass in the Park featuring a Peacemaker from Israel, who sang us songs and told us stories of peace work being lived-out on the tumultuous borders of Palestine and Israel.

 

 

January 2007
The Peace Committee

  • Spritus Christi hosted a weekend long series featuring an internationally known writer, teacher and speaker on Nonviolence: Father Charles McCarthy.

Fall 2007
 The Peace Committee

  • Through the Peace Committee, Spiritus Christi offered tangible and financial support to the Nonviolent Anti-War Storefront of Monroe Avenue in Rochester; a national model for non-profit peace-centered community involvement.

Spring 2007
Lenten Season

  • Offered a Personal Peace Workshop with meditation during 7 weeks of lent.
  • Held a candlelight ceremony for the Vow of Nonviolence on Good Friday, witnessed by Father Jim Callan.




Spring 2008
 Lenten Season

  • The Peace Committee re-created a new curriculum for the Personal Peace Workshop and presented and well-attended thought-provoking, community-building series that addressed the violence in our own communities and within our own selves. Meditation was also included in this workshop.
  • The Good Friday Vow of Nonviolence was again offered and very well attended and witnessed by both Rev. Mary Ramerman and Father Jim Callan.
  • Nonviolent Communication workshop was presented for 4 weeks but was extended to 7 weeks due to the overwhelming response!

COMING UP…
Please consider attending a Peace Committee meeting.
They are listed in the churched bulletin and happily opened to all.
Hope to see you there, fellow-peacemakers!

Summer 2008
The Peace Committee

  • Is considering participation in: Rochester Walks for Peace.  A series of neighborhood peace walks are expected to take place in August.  The idea is modeled after “New York State Marches for Peace.”  Rochester Against War and Declaration of Peace are organizing these walks.  RAW meets every Saturday at noon and Declaration of Peace meets Sundays at 7pm at the Antiwar Storefront, 658 Monroe Ave.

Fall 2008
The Peace Committee

  • Is planning an October viewing of the Fr. John Dear film, The Narrow Path,  This is a lead-in to an appearance by John Dear himself on November 11th,  discussing his new book, A Persistent Peace: One Man’s Struggle for a Nonviolent World,  (autobiography) which will be available for sale and autographed by Fr. John Dear.
     
John Dear has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2008.  Bishop Desmond Tutu is one of the supporters of this nomination.  A 24-hour prayer vigil for Peace is in the planning in connection with John Dear’s presentation on November 11th.  It will begin at 7 pm on Monday, the 10th, and end just before 7pm on Tuesday. 

Spring 2009
 Lenten Season

  • The Peace Committee will again offer the Personal Peace Workshop. A thought-provoking, community-building series that addresses the violence in our own communities and within our own selves. Meditation will also be included in this workshop.
  • The Good Friday Vow of Nonviolence will again be offered.
  • The Nonviolent Communication workshop will be extended to meet the needs of the people interested. The response was so great last year, that this piece is a highly anticipated addition to Spiritus Peace Community Lenten Practice.

Spiritus Christi Home Page

A Declaration of Resistance
to the War in Iraq

We embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ and his radical message of unconditional love and resistance to all forms of violence and injustice.  This requires that we actively seek peace by working for justice and compels us to take a moral stand against this war.  We seek to dialogue with those members of our community and outside who hold differing viewpoints, and pledge to maintain the commitment to unconditional love and nonviolent resistance to those who disagree.   

Click here for the complete statement

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