Bending the Arc

An annual papal message for World Day of Peace (January 1) has been released every year since 1968. In this year’s message, titled “Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace,” Pope Francis encourages us to confront the structures of sin that exploit the poor and our common home, emphasizing how God’s mercy in our lives can help achieve peace.

Read Pope Francis’ 2025 World Day of Peace message. 

How does this message challenge you? As you start the new year and make your resolutions, take a moment to think of one way you can address poverty in your community or parish. 

Visit the USCCB Poverty Awareness Month webpage

December 14, 2024 is the 12-year mark of the Sandy Hook shooting tragedy and for over a decade, a coalition of gun violence prevention, faith, survivor, and other groups have worked together to honor ALL victims of gun violence in our nation. Once again, people across the country will unite during the month of December to shine a light on the gun violence public health crisis and forge a path to keep our children, families, friends, and neighbors safe.

The 12th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence will be held on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 from 7pm - 9:30pm ET on Capitol Hill. This national vigil service will anchor the 12th Annual Nationwide Vigils to #EndGunViolence in our communities during the month of December to support the survivors locally across the nation.

Cannot get to D.C.? (me either.) Explore December Vigils and Events in your area or consider hosting your own!

CSA continues to be a sponsor of this nationwide vigil.

Over the past century, Christian Zionism has been used to justify first the immigration of Jews to Palestine and then, with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, justification for the unquestioning support of Israeli policies of occupation and apartheid. 

• What is Christian Zionism?
• How does it appear in our churches?
• What are some different lenses we can use to examine the scriptures that underpin it?

Watch last month's webinar where Rev. Dr. Donald Wagner, retired Presbyterian pastor and theologian, and Rev. William T. Young IV, pastor of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, unpacked and challenged Christian Zionism.

The World Beyond War website states: “The crime of genocide is happening. The intentional destruction of a people, in whole or in part, is genocide. The law is meant to be used to prevent it, not just review it after the fact.”

In a recent meeting with UN consulates, asking them to use international law to bring an end to the genocide in Gaza, they replied they needed a larger grassroots movement before they could do anything. So in response, a letter was drafted that can be used by ANYONE, asking them to use international law to end the genocide.

You can go to this link and within a few minutes, send a letter, editing it as you see fit, and it will go to 205 consulates.
 

It is one easy thing you can do to bring an end to the horrific genocide in Gaza that is causing so much suffering to so many.
 

Since 2001, settlers and soldiers have destroyed more than one million Palestinian olive trees. In Masafer Yatta, in the West Bank, Palestinians face the imminent loss of not just their olive tree but also the land on which they stand. Israeli settlers are stealing and killing livestock, destroying crops and preventing farmers from accessing their land. 

Madison-Rafah Sister City and Palestine Partners have partnered with a Dutch organization, “Plant An Olive Tree,” to plant a grove of olive trees in Masafer Yatta.  

Israeli law allows for the seizure of land as “state land” if the landowner cannot prove the agricultural use of it. Planting these trees replaces trees destroyed by settlers and creates proof of cultivation to help farmers retain their land.”

You are invited to sponsor a tree, or multiple trees, for $24 each. These trees will be replanted during the spring planting season from January to March.

Thank you for your support for this important project.

Mail a Check to Palestine Partners, PO Box 8414, Madison WI  53708

Credit card, Apple or Google Pay at this Square payment link: https://square.link/u/WlftHKt0 

Learn more at https://tiny.one/MadisonOliveGrove 

October 24, 1945, following WWII, our forebearers gathered for the first United Nations General Assembly. The United States was one of the first 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace, developing friendly relations among nations, and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights. Today, there are 193 Member States, and our current U.S. Administration remains committed to this relationship. Read this White House Proclamation on United Nations Day 2024.

UNANIMA gets its name from United Nations (UN) feminine spirit (anima). It is an international coalition of 23 religious communities, including the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes. UNANIMA International (UI) is a nongovernmental organization founded in 2002. For over 20 years, their focus has been on advocating on behalf of these women, children, and girls who are furthest left behind, and bringing their voices, perspectives, and experiences to the United Nations. Their grassroots members are women and girls with lived experience and who provide direct service to their communities - they are health care providers, educators, social workers, development workers, childcare workers. Through advocacy, research, education, collaboration, and action, UNANIMA's mission is to educate and influence policymakers on the areas of gender equality, migration, and climate change through a human rights-based approach.

In honor of UN Day 2024, and as CSA representative to the UI Board of Directors, Tracy Abler offered a presentation to sisters and associates on October 24, 2024.  

The following op-ed is created, and shared with permission, from members of Interfaith Peace Working Group (IPWG) in Wisconsin, retired pastors Rev. Fred Trost and Dr. Jerry Folk. CSA’s Justice Promoter, Tracy Abler, has recently joined these gentlemen on the IPWG Steering Committee.

“Christian churches in the Middle East and elsewhere have been working together for a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for many years. They often stress the importance of understanding the roots of this conflict. According to Mitri Raheb, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor and educator, who spoke recently in Madison, the primary root of this conflict is Israel’s policy of “settler colonialism”, the objective of which is to cleanse the land of its native Palestinian inhabitants and incorporate their land into the state of Israel. For example, Israel deprives Palestinian farmers of water, making farming impossible. After three years of non-use, the law allows Israel to confiscate the land, move settlers in, and provide them water, electricity and protection.

In a recent webinar, Dr. Peter Makari, Global Relations Minister for the Middle East for the United Church of Christ, explained the history of this policy which has caused so many Palestinian grievances.* Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were driven from their ancestral homes in the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe) during the Arab-Israeli war and Israel will not allow them to return. Since then, armed conflicts in the region have displaced six million Palestinian refugees and their descendants. They are now scattered across Gaza, the West Bank and refugee camps in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, Israel has blockaded the flow of people and goods there, creating an outdoor prison. Palestinians in the West Bank are facing increasing Israeli restrictions on their movements and fierce attacks by Israeli settlers.

Although we support resistance to injustice and oppression wherever it occurs, we stand alongside those who reject the violent acts of Hamas on October 7, 2024. At the same time, we believe with millions of others around the world that this conflict did not begin on that day. The ongoing suffering of Palestinians and Israel's massive destruction of Gaza date back to 1948 when nearly 167,000 Palestinians were killed and 750,000 were expelled from their homes and the land on which they had lived for centuries. This terrible conflict screams for an end which allows both Israelis and Palestinians to live together in peace and enjoy the freedom, self-determination, human rights and security that they deserve as fellow human beings. Israel's massive violence in Gaza, in which a staggering number of more than 41,000 civilians have been killed, 63% of them women and children, does not take us a single step closer to the goal of peace and reconciliation. It takes us in the opposite direction.

We urge our government to change its foreign policy on Israel and the Middle East by ending its financial and military support for Israel’s massive and brutal actions in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon and by insisting on an immediate ceasefire and the beginning of serious negotiations for peace and justice in Palestine/Israel. Let us do all we can to support groups and leaders who work for this end.”

*To receive the link to Dr. Makari’s recorded Sept 26, 2024 IPWG webinar, please email Tracy at tabler@csasisters.org.
 

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) is a proud member organization of WNPJ. While no CSA members were able to attend the October 19th assembly you can find recordings here.

This October, WNPJ kicked off a wave of peace throughout Wisconsin. In remembering WNPJ’s origin as a network of organizations and individuals who united in a stand for peace at the time of the Gulf War, they continue to invite people from around the state to stand together for peace. Learn more in their Fall 2024 newsletter, now available here: https://www.wnpj.org/newsletter 

 

The second annual Emergency Gun Violence Summit was held in Milwaukee, WI on October 10, 2024. CSA was a community nonprofit sponsor. Three CSA Associates welcomed community leaders from Fond du Lac and Milwaukee to their table.

The summit was organized by WAVE - Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, Forward Latino and the 80% Coalition. General sessions and breakout sessions featured medical professionals from the Medical College of Wisconsin, John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, Children’s Hospital; the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention; city and state officials to include Gov. Tony Evers, AG Josh Kaul, City of Milwaukee Ald. Jose Perez, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, DA John Chisholm, WI Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Rep. Deb Andraca and more. Interfaith leaders led prayers and workshops.

Several students from area schools were also in attendance. It was reported that gun violence is the leading cause of death in children, ages 1-17. An ER physician from Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, reported the youngest patient he treated with a gunshot wound was 2 years old. Why are we not investing in ways to keep our kids safe?

According to the City of Milwaukee Office of Community Wellness and Safety, many are taking a Public Health Approach to violence. Each year, millions of individuals, families, and communities bear the physical, mental, and economic costs of violence. As a leading cause of injury, disability, and premature death, this issue compromises health and safety. Merely witnessing violent incidents can result in psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Violence discourages economic development in troubled areas, thereby affecting the accessibility of jobs, healthy food, and safe housing. The physical wellbeing of residents, who stay indoors to avoid violent behavior in their community, can exacerbate health problems. Fortunately, violence is a learned behavior and is preventable with community-wide prevention services and common sense gun laws.

In a Marquette Law School poll in 2018, Wiscosinites were asked if new gun laws would reduce mass shootings. 65% of Republicans and 19% of Democrats said not at all, yet 76% of Republicans and 41% of Democrats said they were very concerned about crime. Other results from the poll showed that 85% of the total survey were in favor of red-flag laws but only 43% of Republicans favored the ban of sales of AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles, while 87% of Democrats favored the ban.

Why so much discrepancy in common sense gun laws amidst a public health crisis? Many speculate that gun manufacturers and lobbyists have much to do with this, essentially buying the vote of many politicians. But what are average, everyday gun owners saying? I challenged myself to attend a breakout session which was a panel of gun owners to hear their perspectives. The panel was moderated by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter, John Diedrich.

My takeaways from the gun-owning panelists were these: 1) Gun owners feel a need to own guns (often multiple) to protect themselves and their families. They use their firearms for safety and sport. 2) Gun owners want non-gun people to know they can be safe with proper training and storage. 3) Gun owners do not trust the government and feel that common sense gun laws would eventually come after their guns. When I asked the gun owners if they’ve ever had to use their weapon to protect themselves, none of them had, but they likened the peace of mind from their weapon to that of having auto or life insurance - “you hope you never have to use it, but it is there if you do.” In this same session, a father shared his efforts to keep guns out of their house to protect his family. His son had mental illness and they were able to protect him for 18 years, until he was able to purchase a gun himself and kill himself. 56% of guns deaths are suicide. Access is a major problem to gun violence. While leaving the session a little frustrated, I also imagined a possibility in gun laws that would protect people and gun owner rights if people advocated with their hearts and minds and not their wallets.

Mr. Diedrich investigated the full extent of firearm deaths in Wisconsin and the efforts put in place to prevent them in his recent “Behind the Guns” project. For more details, visit: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/special-reports/2023/12/06/behind-the-gun-read-the-entire-project-here/71814275007/ 

As we marked the Oct. 7th anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens and subsequent genocide being carried out by the Israeli government in Gaza (and into the West Bank and the region) the mounting death toll and images of shrouds of children and starving infants have broken all our hearts. Especially painful is that the U.S. has continued to provide political cover for Israel and offensive military weapons—without conditions—to Israel to enable the killing.  

While many of us have been consistently lifting up the need for a permanent ceasefire, a suspension of US weapons transfers to Israel, and diplomacy to address the occupation at the roots of the conflict, there are now two specific Resolutions in Congress—that are extremely important. 

1. The Senate “Joint Resolutions of Disapproval,” (JRD) introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley and Peter Welch, is a set of 6 resolutions that are categorized by weapons systems, calling for each category of weapons to be suspended, given their offensive nature, and given documentation that the Israeli military has used U.S. weapons in its strikes that have killed thousands of civilians. (JRD bill numbers and text: S.J.Res. 111, S.J.Res. 112, S.J.Res. 113, S.J.Res. 114, S.J.Res 115, S.J.Res. 116). This is a historic resolution and there will be a vote in early or mid-November (after the election) in the Senate.  The challenge is to get as many senators as possible to add their name as a co-sponsor before the vote.  Some steps you can take: 
2. ACTION: Mercy Sisters Action Alert; feel free to take their name out of the message body and put yours in, edit as you see fit, etc. CSA appreciates, and joins, the efforts of the Mercy Sisters. Here’s another template from FCNL Quakers lobby.  
3. If you have members in states with these senators, know they are considered key to convincing to sign on as a co-sponsor (most likely): Van Hollen, Murphy, Reed, King, Shaheen, Smith, Klobuchar, Warnock, Ossoff, Luján, Duckworth, Durbin, Warren, Carper, Whitehouse, Baldwin, Heinrich, Hirono, Sherrod Brown, Markey, Butler, Kaine. 
4. In the House of Representatives, a resolution was introduced in late September: H.R. 9649, the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2024. The bill calls to repeal the suspension that was placed on U.S. funds destined for UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), which is the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.  For more information on the bill, see Mercy’s action alert; and again feel free to use/adapt/put your name on it—and encourage your members to take action.  There may be a Senate companion bill coming in the near future, but for now, it’s just in the House.  You can check if your representative is among the 68 who have signed on as well here.

Additional resources:

• Mercy Sisters Leadership Team statement for the anniversary of Oct. 7.
• Resource, perhaps for prayer, FB video of the names of those killed in Gaza, w/music. Names are listed by age, and it is long 59 minutes, the first minute and a half—with children under age 1.

In an earlier Bending the Arc post from 7/31/2024, we detailed the efforts of JCoR and its partners in calling upon the US Congress and Department of Homeland Security to approve legislation aimed to stop the supply of arms and ammunition from the United States to Haiti and an invitation to join Advocacy Days in D.C. later this month. Even if you cannot go to Washington, your voice can still be heard!

WRITE to your congressional representatives and president with this template letter: https://quixote.org/action#/16 

CALL your congressional representatives (contact information available here: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials )
For more details, visit: https://jcor2030.org/stop-illegal-u-s-arms-to-haiti-advocacy-days/ 

JCoR - Justice Coalition of Religious - is a group of 23 non-governmental organizations that are accredited to collectively represent over 200 congregations of Roman Catholic women and men Religious at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York. UNANIMA International is one of the NGOs that make up JCoR, and CSA is one of 23 Congregations who make up UNANIMA International.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with film screenings and panel discussion.

Milwaukee PBS presents a free screening of Roots and Legacy: Jesus Salas followed by a panel discussion at Flores Hall in Milwaukee on Wednesday, September 25, 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

The documentary is based on Jesus Salas’ memoir Obreros Unidos: The Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement. It sheds light on the historical struggle of Latino migrant farmworkers during the 1960s. Facing harsh living conditions, they united to confront employers who denied them their rights. The movement led to new social services organizations and significant progress for Latinos in Wisconsin. 
Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvevL1WYobQ 

The screening will be followed by panel discussion. Don’t miss this opportunity to come together and honor the contributions, the rich culture, and heritage of Milwaukee’s Latino community. 
RSVP by clicking here.

Not in the Milwaukee area? This movie will also premiere on September 18th on Milwaukee PBS’ YouTube channel. 

Peter Makari, UCC Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe will offer a Zoom presentation for churches and communities of faith on the crisis in the region. 

On Thursday, September 26, at 7 pm, Peter Makari, a leading specialist on the crisis in Gaza and the Middle East, will offer a Zoom presentation for churches and other communities of faith on the crisis in the region. Born in Egypt, Peter is the Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe for the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.)  A member of the Board of Churches for Middle East Peace, he is among the most well-informed Church leaders on developments in the Middle East, having spent much of his life studying and living in that part of the world.    

Interfaith Peace Working Group (IPWG) invites readers to join Peter in an hour-long discussion of the present crisis in Gaza and Israel. Mark your calendars now! No registration needed.Use this Zoom link on the 28th: https://UCC.zoom.us/j/83824972681?pwd=KNjOoQkkRV6b2KzXBzaNhMROMADVsL.1

Meeting ID: 838 2497 2681 and Passcode: 688763. 

For additional information, contact Jerry Folk at interfaithpeaceworkinggroup@gmail.com  
Tracy Abler, JPIC Coordinator for the Sisters of St Agnes, recently accepted an invitation to serve on the Interfaith Peace Working Group Steering Committee.    
 

Celebrate International Day of Peace (Sept 21) with screenings of a film that provides a look into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people.

The film, Where Olive Trees Weep, offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. View the film trailer and learn more at https://whereolivetreesweep.com/

The film will be screened on International Day of Peace - Saturday, September 21 @ 7:00 pm at Madison Friends (Quakers) Meeting House, 1704 Roberts Court, Madison WI. The screening will be preceded by a social gathering starting at 6:30 and a discussion session will follow the film. 

Can’t get to Madison? Use this link to privately view the film on your own or host your own small group: https://kinema.com/events/where-olive-trees-weep-hjpxh. Admission is free with this link, but only on September 21, 2024, courtesy of the Interfaith Peace Working Group of Wisconsin.

The Sisters of St. Agnes will also be offering a free screening of the film on Monday, September 23 at 5:30 pm at their Motherhouse in Founders Hall, County Road K, Fond du Lac. Please use this link to reserve your seat: https://forms.gle/R3Q21JmA9kjJXvwEA. Please share widely.

You can also:

• Show or view the film on another date: https://sand.thrivecart.com/where-olive-trees-weep/   A donation for that is welcome, but not necessary.
• Get ideas for ACTIONS to take now: https://whereolivetreesweep.com/resources/ 
• Contact Interfaithpeaceworkinggroup@gmail.com for a film discussion guide, media resources to promote your event, and any questions

Nuclear weapons offer an illusion of security. By allowing the U.S. nuclear posture to shift from deterrence to employment, there will be a scenario where the U.S. will use nuclear weapons.

Successive U.S. administrations have eschewed arms control in favor of maintaining American strategic advantage over real and/or imagined adversaries.

This is accomplished by embracing nuclear weapons employment strategies that deviate from simple deterrence into war-fighting at every level of conflict, including scenarios that don’t involve a nuclear threat.

At a time when the U.S. advocates policies exacerbating already high levels of tension with nuclear-armed adversaries Russia and China, the Biden administration has signed off on a new nuclear employment plan that increases, rather than decreases, the probability of nuclear conflict.

Left unchecked, this policy can have only one possible outcome — total nuclear annihilation of humanity and the world we live in.

Read more in this recent article by writer, Scott Ritter, in Consortium News - an independent investigative journalism and political review.

According to a 2021 petition by Change.org, “The threat of nuclear annihilation is greater than it has ever been… A nuclear war must never be fought, because everyone will lose," said several presidents, including Joe Biden. The leaders of every major religion call for abolishing nuclear weapons. Pope Francis says it's immoral to possess them.

It's not only immoral. It's illegal to possess nukes, since the International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was signed and ratified by the majority of world nations and became law in January 2021.

Yet the U.S. possesses thousands of nuclear bombs. About 1,750 of them are deployed on missiles (aimed and on hair trigger alert), and another 3,500 are in reserve. Consider the horror of the bomb that destroyed the city of Hiroshima in 1945. Today’s nukes are, on average, 20 times more destructive than the Hiroshima bomb. In other words, the US has enough nukes to incinerate 100,000 Hiroshimas and let the remaining living beings die a slow death from radiation poisoning.”

Learn more and Speak Up here: https://www.change.org/p/stop-making-nukes 

Pax Christi USA’s virtual conference is September 6-7, 2024 (Friday 6-8pm CT, Saturday 11am - 4:30 CT).

Being a prophetic church in a time of polarization and conflict is the theme for this year’s conference. 

As we witness unprecedented divisions in our world and even our own Catholic family, this Pax Christi USA virtual gathering on Zoom will examine the root causes of the growing polarization with speakers who are actively working in the fields of church politics, nonviolence, and religious nationalism. We will look for ways in which we can be prophetic — working together in dialogue for a better understanding and offering nonviolent solutions that can give all of us hope.

Click here to see more information as well as a link to the registration form.

As we remember the suffering of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we continue to pray that world leaders will take decisive action to end the manufacturing of these weapons of mass destruction and address the ongoing consequences of the arms race.

On August 6, nearly 500 individuals gathered for an online prayer service to commemorate the tragic events of August 6 and 9, 1945, when the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. It is estimated that over 200,000 lives were lost those days. 

If you missed the online event, the recording is available now here:

The statistics reported are staggering and terrifying. Some of these include the fact that 1) the U.S. and Russia maintain roughly 1,800 of their nuclear weapons on high-alert status and can be launched within just minutes of a warning; 2) today’s weapons are even more powerful than those of 1945; 3) the President of the United States has the sole authority to authorize the use of nuclear weapons.

Sisters, associates, and friends in the United States are urged to contact Congress about taking action to support nuclear disarmament. Specifically, we urge support for House Resolution 77, which calls on the United States to embrace the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and to pursue five important policies that would move us back from the brink of nuclear destruction. 
Looking for more information? The Clinton Franciscans are sharing this resource sheet.

Update:

CSA and other faith-based organizations and their partners are calling upon the US Congress and Department of Homeland Security to approve legislation aimed to stop the supply of arms and ammunition from the United States to Haiti.

Haiti is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent history. Armed gangs control much of the country’s infrastructure, kidnappings and murders are now commonplace, and nearly five million people face food insecurity. Although guns and ammunition are not manufactured in Haiti, the tightening grip of armed groups on the country is made possible by an abundant supply of guns and ammunition that are flowing into Haiti, primarily from the United States. Weak gun laws in several U.S. states–combined with insufficient national investment in the prevention of weapons smuggling through the port of Miami–allow trafficking of guns from the US to Haiti.
In response, CSA and other faith-based organizations and their partners are calling upon US residents to participate in a joint action to call upon US Congress and the US Department of Homeland Security to take serious and reasonable actions to stop the illegal flow of arms and ammunition from the United States to Haiti.This group seeks the passage of several pieces of legislation that are currently under consideration in US Congress and would support the reduction of arms being trafficked to Haiti from the US.

The four bills currently introduced in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives can be found here.

Americans across the country are asked to join this group’s efforts by signing and sharing this letter. Simply enter your address to have the letter sent directly to the legislators in your area and to President Biden. Our advocacy does matter!

For those willing/able to take greater action, there will be a Lobby Day in Washington D.C. September 25-25, 2024. Anyone interested in participating can register by August 30.

Register

There is funding available to help with travel costs.

Of interest, the group Stop US Arms to Mexico has created a report with an interactive map that identifies where bad gun dealers are in the U.S. and how their weapons and ammunition end up in Haiti. 

Original article:

A mobilizing initiative organized by faith-based organizations concerned about the illegal flow of weapons from the USA to Haiti, which is fueling the ongoing gang violence from which all Haitian people are suffering. Learn how your community can advocate against gun trafficking and exports. Print the poster.

Join this webinar on July 30 at 4 pm CT.

Register here

Live interpretation will be provided between English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.

Feel free to visit the Nuns Against Gun Violence website and use any of their free resources to further your efforts to end gun violence.

A Texas company is now installing ammunition vending machines in grocery stores across Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Read this message from the Democracy for America Advocacy Fund: “The company behind these machines claims their age-verification technology makes these transactions safe. But we know better. No amount of technology can prevent these machines from normalizing gun violence and making deadly weapons more accessible than ever.

We need to stop this dangerous trend before it spreads. We need to send a clear message that our grocery stores should be safe spaces for families, not convenient pit stops for potential killers.
We've already lost too many lives to gun violence. We can't make it even easier for tragedy to strike.

We're up against a powerful, well-funded gun lobby that puts profits over people's lives. But we have something stronger: the will of Americans who are tired of living in fear of gun violence.”

Tell Congress to act now. Demand a nationwide ban on ammunition vending machines in grocery stores.  
 

We stand in solidarity with all victims of gun violence and advocate for the swift passage of H.R. 698/S. 25, the comprehensive federal assault weapons ban legislation. 

In the wake of the tragic violence and attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Nuns Against Gun Violence mourns the loss of Fire Chief Corey Comperatore and the perpetrator Thomas Crooks, and the injuries sustained by Mr. Trump and two other attendees. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Camperatore and Crooks families and all affected by this weekend’s trauma.

This tragedy was just one of 300 mass shootings in the United States to date in 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive. It has heightened our awareness of the constant drumbeat of gun violence and its accompanying fear. We stand in solidarity with all victims of gun violence and advocate for the swift passage of H.R. 698/S. 25, the comprehensive federal assault weapons ban legislation. Military-style firearms have no place in civilian hands. We urge Congress to prioritize the safety and well-being of all Americans by enacting this lifesaving legislation. Every life is precious.

The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes is part of Nuns Against Gun Violence, a coalition of Catholic Sisters and their allies, compelled by their faith, representing more than 60 communities to speak with a united voice against the crisis of gun violence. We affirm the value of human life through prayer, education, and advocacy for common-sense, evidence-based gun violence prevention.
 

August 6 and 9 mark a shameful time in history when, in 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 200,000 people. Despite this horrific humanitarian tragedy, the world’s nuclear-armed states possess a combined total of about 12,100 nuclear warheads, putting the entire planet at risk of annihilation.
    
On August 6, 2024, the Franciscan Peace Center, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa, will be hosting a virtual prayer service to mark this dark day and to call for renewed efforts to eliminate all nuclear weapons.

The prayer service will be held via Zoom from 6-7:00 pm CDT on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. 

Register to Attend

The prayer service will be recorded for those who will not be available to participate in the live event.  

CSA is a co-sponsor of this event.

This statue of Saint Agnes stands in the center of the permanent collection at the United Nations. The damaged statue was found in the ruins of a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Nagasaki, Japan in 1945. The Cathedral was completely destroyed when the atomic bomb exploded half a kilometre away. The charring and mottling on the back of the statue are the result of the intense heat and radiation.
 

As the U.S. grapples with another mass shooting, America’s top doctor issues a first-of-its-kind advisory declaring gun violence a national public health crisis and recommending it be treated as such. 

In a recent 40-page publication, the surgeon general declared gun violence a public health crisis. What does that do? In a June 25, 2024 NPR article, Dr. Vivek Murthy says “a public health approach can guide the nation’s strategy and actions as it has done in the past with successful efforts to address tobacco-related disease and motor vehicle crashes.” He adds, “It is up to us to take this generational challenge with the urgency and clarity the moment demands. The safety and well-being of our children and future generations are at stake.” Read the full article.

To further understand the report, watch this Meet the Press video.

Please continue to follow, or join the efforts of, Nuns Against Gun Violence. Watch the recording of their June 18, 2024 webinar - “Firearms & Faith: Navigating Catholic Social Teaching in a World of Gun Violence.”
 

Yoga & Nonviolence: Moving Toward a State of Inner Peace
Saturday, August 10, 2024
10:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific Time
Join Campaign Nonviolence (A Project of Pace e Bene) for an online event with Carla Conde

In this workshop you will:

• Understand the Definition of Yoga and Its Connection to Nonviolence:
  Learn how yoga supports individual growth and betterment physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Explore Various Definitions of Violence and Its Types/Aspects:
  Gain a deeper understanding of what nonviolence entails.
• Learn Yoga's Principles to Address Violence:
  Discover how principles such as ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness), and svadhaya (self-study/discovery) can address violence towards oneself and society.
• Understand the Role of the Autonomic Nervous System and Polyvagal Theory:
  Explore how these concepts impact our sense of inner peace and provide insights into cultivating self-awareness and self-regulation in daily life.
• Practice Gentle Physical Postures and Breathing Exercises:
  Enhance self-awareness, self-regulation, and empowerment through Yoga practices.
• Engage in Questions and Discussion:
  Participate in an interactive session for further clarification and discussion.

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Acclaimed author delves into America’s complex relationship with firearms to better understand how our history has brought us to where we are today.

More than a hundred lives are lost to firearms every day in America. The cost is more than the numbers—it is the fear, the anxiety, the dread of public spaces that an armed society has created under the tortured rubric of freedom. But the norms of today are not the norms of American history or the values of its founders. They are the product of a gun culture that has imposed its vision on a sleeping nation.

Historian Dominic Erdozain argues that we have wrongly ceded the big-picture argument on guns: As we parse legislation on background checks and automatic-weapons bans, we fail to ask what place guns should have in a functioning democracy.

Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE) Fund invites you to join Dominic Erdozain, author of “One Nation Under Guns,” in a special online program where he will share more of his perspective, also detailed in his book.

Here are the details you need to know:
Thursday, June 20
12:00 p.m. CT
Register now to receive a Zoom link on the day of the event.

Don't miss this opportunity to engage with one of the foremost authorities on America's relationship with firearms. If you’d like to read the book leading up to the discussion, you can grab a copy at your local library or order it here!

National Gun Violence Awareness Day is traditionally observed on the first Friday in June.  Thousands of people wear the color orange to honor Hadiya Pendleton and the more than 43,000 Americans who are killed with guns and approximately 76,000 more who are shot and wounded every year.

June 7-9, all are encouraged to Wear Orange and join others in honoring survivors and building community with those working to end gun violence. There are many ways you can participate. For one, Mercy Sisters will host an online vigil on Thursday, June 6 at 6:30 pm CT. 

Register here

Other ideas can be found at Everytown for Gun Safety

Click here to explore the gun homicide footprint in your community. 

Nuns Against Gun Violence (of which CSA is a member) has prepared a prayer resource for June 7 - National Gun Awareness Day - that you can download here. They are also hosting a webinar exploring what Catholic Social Teaching has to say about the epidemic of gun violence in our world on June 18 at 6 pm CT. 

Register here

The Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Pax Christi USA, Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, and the Franciscan Action Network invite all Catholic individuals and organizations in the United States to sign on and to an open letter expressing our grief and dismay over the horrors that have occurred in Israel-Palestine over the last six months. Read the entire letter and see all the signatures here. Sign the letter here. Please share!

Don’t stop there! Each day, mothers are witnessing the death of their children in the Middle East. Please join Franciscan Action Network - click here to again urge your legislators to call for peace in the Middle East. This will take less than one minute.

Also, use this SSND Voter Voice Tool to urge President Biden and members of Congress to do all they can do to stop the bloodshed and move all involved to a just and lasting peace. Letters to the editor are also an effective tool for communicating messages. Click here for assistance in putting one together.

An Amnesty International petition gathered more than a million signatures from people around the world. You can follow their work and reporting. 

Want to be better informed? For an alternative news source with live updates, visit Al Jazeera.

We must be relentless in our call to peace and justice - Read, Listen, Sign, Call, Write, Act!
 

Today, April 11, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a new action that will save lives by reducing the number of firearms sold without background checks. This final rule implements the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act’s expansion of firearm background checks-the only significant expansion of the background check required since then-Senator Biden shepherded the Brady Bill over the finish line in 1993. The President and Vice President are moving as close as possible to universal background checks without additional legislation.

This New York Times article describes the rule released by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which will require anyone “engaged in the business” of selling guns at a profit to register as a federally licensed firearms dealer. That means sellers must run background criminal and mental health checks on potential buyers. Read the full article.

This is a huge win for gun violence prevention groups like Nuns Against Gun Violence. A few months ago, many of us submitted comments on the ATF site to close this loophole and the exciting news today is proof President Biden paid attention.

Read more about the specifics of the Engaged in the Business rule in this White House Fact Sheet.

The photo here is one I took last September when visiting my daughter in upper Wisconsin. This was a roadside sale (next to a fresh produce and pumpkin stands) that I found absolutely frightening.

17,000 children of Gaza have been orphaned or separated from their parents.

You are invited to watch a short video of 11-year-old, Dareen al-Bayaa. As you consider her suffering and the suffering of other children, also reflect on the thousands of innocents killed and the million plus people displaced living in poverty and at risk of famine and disease. 

This is far beyond too much. Our hearts and their spirit challenge us to stay vigilant with our prayers and calls to stop the violence. Our message must not waver. Silence the weapons, now. Bring in the aid and take care of the displaced, now. Secure freedom for the captives and do the hard work of negotiating a just peace, now.

The U.S. has a particular responsibility to make sure this gets done. You are invited to use the SSND Voter Voice tool to urge President Biden and members of Congress to do all they can to stop the bloodshed and move all involved to a just and lasting peace. Letters to the editor are also an effective tool for communicating messages. Click here for assistance in putting one together.

On March 4, Vice President Kamala Harris demanded an immediate ceasefire to allow for humanitarian efforts. Some criticize her message as long overdue, watered down, and hypocritical as the U.S. continues to provide Israel with military aid. What do you think? What are you planning to do about it?

Test your knowledge on gun violence, laws, read other news, AND PRAY with a plethora of recommended resources:

Quiz from The Trace

How much do you know about background checks? Concealed carry? Take this 12-question quiz, offered by The Trace, to find out. TheTrace.org is the only newsroom dedicated to covering gun violence. Please add this to your list of resources on the subject.  

Pray the STATIONS OF THE CROSS

NEW! The St. Louis Archdiocese’ Gun Violence Prevention Task Force is inviting Catholics to pray a Stations of the Cross on March 1 for gun violence victims. Read about it or participate here.

Intercommunity Justice & Peace Center

Here is another recommended resource devoted to gun violence. It is published by the Seattle-based Intercommunity Justice & Peace Center. You may see some familiar faces on page 5! 

ACTING AGAINST MASS SHOOTINGS

In the U.S., we continue to have near daily mass shootings. Do not let up on contacting your lawmakers and demand common sense gun laws as proposed by groups such as Everytown, Brady United Against Gun Violence, Moms Demand Action, and many more like these.

3-D PRINTED AUTOMATIC

And just when you wondered if things could get any more ridiculous… the CSA JPIC Office was alerted to this article in a recent Wall Street Journal this week (free article link): The $50 Device that turns handguns into automatic weapons. 
 

What does it mean to be American? What holds us together in turbulent times?

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy came together from remarkably different backgrounds, life experiences, and points of view to explore the idea of a unifying “American creed” in a film with the same name.

The film, American Creed premiered in February 2018 and was one of the most widely carried PBS documentaries of the year. The documentary relaunched in November 2018, followed by an all-new short film featuring teenagers whose perspectives on American ideals and identity have been influenced by seeing the documentary. 

With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the film’s launch marked the beginning of a public engagement campaign including community conversations, classroom activities and local storytelling in cities and towns across the country—all designed to foster a bold national conversation about American ideals and identity.

You can watch the trailer, stories, or the film for free here. Be sure to share this with others!

After watching the film, you are invited to join a discussion hosted by Braver Angels on February 15 at 7 pm CT. Sign up here to join the conversation.

Want better conversations with people whose politics aren’t yours? Wish family members and friends on the other political side would hear your views about politics? Then sign up for Braver Angels new 90-minute, interactive "Skills for Disagreeing Better" workshop this Saturday, February 10 at 1 pm CT. You’ll learn about the value of listening – really listening – and about how to make your points in ways that the other person can absorb. Register here.

Questions? Contact Mary Beth Stibbins at mbstibbins@braverangels.org

This Lent, Sisters, Associates and Allies of Nuns Against Gun Violence are invited to pledge to fast for an end to gun violence in whatever way they can. Be sure to join their virtual Ash Wednesday service too.

To date, nearly 150 participants have pledged to offer their personal sacrifice and prayer for a more peaceful society. CSA JPIC Coordinator, Tracy Abler, has pledged to abstain from food one day a week during Lent. Anyone can still pledge to participate by filling out the Lenten Fasting Commitment Form. 

Fasting can be whatever works best for an individual. One can give up some food during Lent, perhaps meat; eat one less meal  a day; abstain from food for a whole day; or anything else they are able to commit to.

“As Catholics, our faith calls us to protect life, and yet our country continues to be plagued with an epidemic of gun violence,” said Mary Ann McGivern, a Sister of Loretto and one of the organizers of the fast. “Our fast will be a prayer to God and an opportunity to publicly appeal to our civic communities for action to reduce gun violence.”

Organizers invite members of its coalition congregations and all like-minded individuals to join in this fast against gun violence. Participants will join their hearts, minds and bodies in a sacrifice—according to each one’s capability—as an expression of love, in a spirit of generosity, willingly abstaining from food and drink or undertaking other meaningful sacrifices as they put forth a united call for people to lay down their guns and enact gun violence prevention legislation.

JOIN THE NUNS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE ASH WEDNESDAY PRAYER SERVICE

Nuns Against Gun Violence will gather virtually for an Ash Wednesday prayer service to inaugurate the fast on Wednesday, February 14 from 4-4:30 p.m. EST. The service will include prayer, Scripture, silence and a reflection by Mary Ann McGivern, SL. Register at bit.ly/nagv-ash-wed.

ABOUT NUNS AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

Nuns Against Gun Violence is a coalition of Catholic Sisters and their allies that affirms the value of human life through prayer, education, and advocacy for common sense, evidence-based, gun violence prevention. The coalition was founded in April 2023 to bring together congregations of Catholic sisters to speak with a united voice against the crisis of gun violence. Supporters meet bi-weekly to share resources and events and plan advocacy efforts. More information is available at nunsagainstgunviolence.org.

The threat of nuclear war is growing. Global tensions are on the rise, and in our own country, there are plans to rebuild the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal at the staggering cost of $1.7 trillion over the next three decades. This includes plans to build more “usable” nuclear weapons for nuclear war fighting, increasing the chance that these weapons could be used. U.S. taxpayers already spend $10.3 million/hour or $172,000/minute every day maintaining the U.S. nuclear arsenal. 

Back from the Brink is calling for renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first, taking the United States nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert, and ending the sole, unchecked authority of any U.S. President to launch a nuclear attack.   

Below are two sample letters you may use and send by mail or email to your representative. Please personalize your letter if possible. 

Letter 1

Letter 2

 If you cannot send a letter, click here for a one-click option to contact your representative.

 Another good resource is a January webinar by Pax Christi, Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative.  If you go about 28 minutes in, you will hear the testimony of Ira Helfand, MD, a member of the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and a co-Founder and Past President of Physicians for Social Responsibility, IPPNW's US affiliate, speak of the implications of the use of nuclear weapons.

The Ignatian Solidarity Network offers the recording of a December 5 webinar that explores the deeper context and history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, including the hardships faced by Palestinian Christians. 

In a webinar that was being planned months before the October 7 attack by Hamas, presenter Jordan Denari Duffner, PhD. explores the deeper context and history that shape today's challenges—including the hardships faced by Palestinian Christians—and discusses how Catholic social teaching can inspire our efforts to advocate alongside Jews, Muslims, and others for a just peace for all people in the Holy Land.

Jordan Denari Duffner, Ph.D., is an author, educator, and scholar of Muslim-Christian relations and Interreligious dialogue. Her books are Finding Jesus among Muslims and Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination. She is an alumna of Brebeuf Jesuit and Georgetown University.

Watch the recording on YouTube.

This resource is being shared especially for those outside of the Fond du Lac area who’ve been struggling to find understanding in the conflict and peace in their hearts, and have been unable to attend CSA’s program called, “Faith Perspectives of the Israel-Hamas War: A Human Response.” This intimate, in-person program, presented by Sisters Cyndi Nienhaus and Marie Scott, aims to provide some historical context, but primarily to help mitigate any antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab sentiments people are experiencing. The January 18 program was well received and will be repeated on February 1. The evenings include a presentation, dialogue with other participants, prayer, and song.

The community is invited to engage with a short film and discussion that proves, Love Conquers Hate.

In this short (29-minute) 2022 documentary, a U.S. Marine plots a terrorist attack on a small-town American mosque, but his plan takes an unexpected turn when he comes face-to-face with the people he is about to kill.

You are invited to attend the free showing of this short film at the Moraine Park Technical College Conference Center (235 N.National Ave, FDL - Lot C, Door 02) Thursday, February 29, 2024, 4:00 - 6:00 PM. No registration required.

A panel discussion with special guests will follow the film.