Pentagon Area Pax Christi Group
May 16th, 2008
History | Actions | Meetings | Contact Person
History
Pax Christi Pentagon Area (PCPA) formed in the Spring of 2006 in response to a growing demand in Northern Virginia for an active, nonviolent Christian witness in resistance to our modern-day culture of violence, death, and retribution. Our advocacy for peace and justice is grounded in Jesus’s example of prayer, nonviolence and solidarity with the poor and in Catholic social teaching.
While based at Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Arlington, Virginia, PCPA is made up of faithful Disciples of Jesus Christ from many parishes, all within the “shadow” of the Pentagon, who take seriously His call for us “to love our enemies.”
Actions
PCPA is active in supporting the many peace-related actions in the DC area.
Some of the events during 2007 where PCPA members participated include:
- International Day of Action to Shut Down Guantánamo: January 11
- Presentation: Torture and the National Security State: January 25
- March on Washington to End the War in Iraq: January 27
- Pax Christi Peace Mass: February 11
- Peace Traditions of Islam: February 22
- Political Non-Violence and the Threat of a Remilitarized Asia Pacific: March 12
- Pax Christi Peace Mass: March 17
- The Environmental Crisis: March 22
- Pax Christi Peace Mass: April 22
- Liz McAlister on Faith and Resistance: April 26
- Fr. John Dear, SJ at Premiere of The Narrow Path: May 11
- An Evening with TASSC: May 24
- Say NO to Israeli Occupation Rally: June 11
- TASSC 24 Hour Vigil to End Torture, June 23
- The Pursuit of Peace, September 12
- Pax Christi USA Regional Coordinators Meeting, September 15
- SOA Vigil and Action in Columbus, Georgia, November 16-18
In addition, PCPA continues to work within the Diocese of Arlington and the metro DC area to both advocate and educate for a more peaceful, nonviolent world and society.
Meetings
This is an excellent time for more of our fellow peacemakers to join our growing community as we begin to discern and then decide on regular actions and vigils that we may undertake as a sign of Christ’s love and peace in Northern Virginia.
Meetings are held twice a month. The remaining schedule through the second quarter of 2008 is as follows:
April 9 | April 24 | May 14 | May 29 | June 11 | June 26 | July 9 | July 24
Contacts
Jack McHale
Burke, VA
(703) 250-5138
jmchale@cox.net
Alan Smigielski
Fairfax, VA
asmig@paxchristinova.org
John Downing
Arlington, VA
JP99down@hotmail.com
Susan Raposa
Fairfax, VA
smrap@cox.net
