Our Lady of the Lake Nonviolence Ministry Strives for Peace
Nicole Hufford, member of the OLL Nonviolence Ministry making peace cranes out of oragami paper.
The vision of Our Lady of the Lake’s Nonviolence Ministry is “to reduce violence in our hearts, in our community and in the world beyond.” With that in mind, it strives to imitate the nonviolent Jesus through education and working cooperatively.
Last year, the group sponsored a monthly series of short programs to educate and inform the parish about nonviolence. Among the topics covered were immigration, domestic violence, gun violence and children, and nuclear weapons. Another program remembered the church women murdered in El Salvador and looked at conditions in that region today.
Recently, the group has begun participating in relevant community events. Most members took part in Euclid’s Common Ground conversation on race in June, called “We’re All in This Race Together.” This month, many attended the National Night Out and joined the prayer vigil at the Church of the Epiphany for the victims of the mass shootings in El Paso, Dayton, and Gilroy.
The next big event planned by the Nonviolence Ministry is an observance of the International Day of Peace on September 21. The group is busy making origami peace cranes to distribute to parishioners the weekend of September 21 and 22, along with the story behind them. The cranes are a symbol to all of the need to constantly strive for peace in our lives and in the world.
The Nonviolence Ministry invites all who share their vision to join them on “Our Parish Journey toward Nonviolence".
Bev Caldwell
Kathy Benda