Warrenton Pax Christi Group
May 5th, 2008
History | Actions | Current Activities | Contact Person
History
Pax Christi, Francis Fauquier Chapter, Warrenton, Virginia began as an organizational meeting at St. John’s, Catholic Church April 20, 2000 with the assistance of Pax Christi Metro DC and Sister Irene Alexander, OSB and Sister Theresa Anderson, OSB of the Benedictines Sisters of Bristow. In May we made application and were accepted as a local group by Pax Christi USA. We have evolved as a small Pax Christi group independent of the parish. Originally our focus was abolishment of the death penalty, and we joined in the effort to reduced the debt relief of the poorer nations. Our main focus has always been to promote non-violence and efforts for peace and justice and to personally live in a non-violent way.
Actions
Since the conception of Pax Christi, Warrenton, we have participated in prayer vigils at the County Court House on Main Street in Warrenton on the night of a scheduled execution in the State of Virginia.
An early effort was a letter campaign to bring attention to the parishes of the Arlington Diocese and the area ecumenical churches of a program called “For whom the Bell Tolls”.
Approximately 200 letters and flyers were mailed. We asked churches to support this effort by tolling their bells and draping their church doors in black and by public and private prayer each time an execution is scheduled in Virginia.
We have attempted to get the local legal community to convene for a presentation by a noted Virginia speaker against the death penalty without success.
Our group has also participated in collecting signatures against the death penalty and forgiveness of the third world debt at St. John’s on Sundays after all the Masses.
We sponsored an Evening with Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, and Founding President of Pax Christi, USA who came to Warrenton and offered his comments on “How to be a Witness for Peace in a World of Violence.”
We also contributed to Pax Christi, Triangle’s interfaith gathering held at St. Francis of Assisi, Triangle.
We participated in the International Festival of Hope Eucharist at OLQP in solidarity with Pax Christi International which was held at St. John’s University in NJ.
When opportunities arose, we have participated in fund raising for Latin America and other countries and also the efforts to close the School of the Americas. We have joined Pax Christi National and Metro DC in protests against the war in Iraq.
Current Activities
In September 2005, we co-sponsored with SALT a forum to bring Bishop Sullivan and local legislators to OLQP to speak against the Death Penalty and the current Minimum Wage.
In the past few years the Pax Christi Northern Virginia groups have collaborated with each other for special events under one banner. We all contributed a joint letter to the Peace and Justice Commission of the Arlington Diocese offering to dialogue. We are now in the process of designing a Peace Pole that is to be placed in our name in St. Anthony of Padua Peace Garden in Falls Church.
Contact Person
Irene Navatta
insnava@msn.com
540-349-9011
