Sr. Mary Lou Kownacki—“Mother of the Spirituality of Nonviolence”  By Fr. John Dear  (Jan. 2023) The Benedictine Sisters of Erie gave Sr. Mary Lou Kownacki a beautiful send off this week after her death on January 6, 2023 from a long battle with cancer. Three hundred people attended her wake and story telling session on...

Rev. Richard Deats, a long-time global peace movement leader and one of the most influential teachers of the philosophy and practice of nonviolent action in 20th century movements, died in Nyack, N.Y. on April 7th, 2021, from complications related to pneumonia. He was 89. “As a longtime leader of the global peace movement organization, the...

by Rev. John Dear “To me, nonviolence is the all-important virtue to be nourished and studied and cultivated,” Dorothy Day wrote in 1967. She regretted that she had not done more to promote nonviolence as a way of life. I think we can all do more to nourish, study, cultivate and promote nonviolence as a...

In the name of the God of peace, the nonviolent Jesus, and the Holy Spirit of love. Welcome. Let’s begin by taking a moment and turning to those around us and introducing ourselves.. I invite you to take a deep breath and relax, to notice how you are feeling today, and to enter into the...

God of peace, thank you for being gentle, loving, compassionate, and nonviolent! You are so nonviolent that you do not force yourself upon us, but gently call us to your wisdom and way of nonviolence. You give us the freedom to do as we will. Help us to do your will of peace, to choose...