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Rev. John
Dear, S.J. in Tulsa
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Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, John Dear, SJ, has been
arrested more than 75 times. He has spent more than a
year of his life in jail. He has been mocked by armed
U.S. soldiers standing outside the doors to his New
Mexico parish. All this because he so fervently believes
in peace. John
visited Tulsa on Oct. 23 as part of his
National Book Tour for his new autobiography, A
Persistent Peace, at Hardesty Regional Library in Tulsa. John read from his
book, gave an impassioned talk on the need for
nonviolence in our world, took questions from the audience and then signed books. A reception hosted by Pax
Christi of Eastern Oklahoma, the Catholic Peace
Movement followed.
On Sunday,
Sept. 28 at the
Hardesty Library will
showed the film "The Narrow Path," a excellent 2007 documentary
about John's life, as well as John's comments from this year's
Hiroshima Day activities which I filmed while in Los Alamos.
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John
Dear’s unflappable persistence in speaking and acting on
behalf of peace stems from his life-changing decision in
college to leave behind his frat-boy, party-all-night
lifestyle and instead become a faithful follower of
Jesus Christ. In turn, that decision has, over many
years, led him to live out the Beatitudes of the
nonviolent Jesus in every dimension of his life rather
than simply quote them when convenient from time to
time.
From his
conversion to Christianity, to his calling to become a
Jesuit, to the extreme dangers and delights of a life
dedicated to truly living out the radical, forgiving
love of Jesus, Dear’s incredible story will touch anyone
who believes in the power of peace.
A
Persistent Peace, John Dear’s autobiography,
invites readers to follow the decades-long journey and
spiritual growth of this nationally known peace
activist, and to witness his bold, decisive, often
unpopular actions before government officials, military
higher-ups, and even hostile representatives of the
Church. With heroes such as Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela, it should come as no
surprise that John’s activism has taken him to many
places—including war zones—all over the world.
Dear’s
incredible story will touch anyone who believes in the
power of peace. Perhaps most important of all, readers
will come to understand through John that the most
important disarmament of all is the one that happens
inside each heart—when we finally let go of our own
self-righteousness, resentment, and anger.
To learn
more about John Dear, visit his website,
www.fatherjohndear.org
To learn
more about A Persistent Peace, including a
video trailer, visit the special web site set up by
Loyola Press,
www.persistentpeace.org
For more
information on Fr. John's visit to Tulsa, contact
John Kennington
at 918-809-6325.
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Fr. John Dear
with Sharon & John Kennington in Abiquiu,
New Mexico, August 2008 |
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Jan Hoeberichts' Books
Have Arrived!
If you prepaid
for a book, please contact
John Kennington
(809-6325) to arrange for pickup.
If you would like to order a copy, you may do so below. They
will be available through July 31.
(Please note that if also ordering a DVD, they need to be
done as separate transactions)
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Francis and Islam. $15.00 |
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Paradise Restored: The Social Ethics of Francis of
Assisi: A Commentary on His "Salutation of the Virtues"
$25.00 |
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Cosponsored by
Pax Christi of Eastern Oklahoma
(the Catholic Peace Movement)
and
The Islamic Society of Tulsa
Dr. Jan Hoeberichts
lives in the Netherlands and will be presenting
the keynote address at the 8th National Franciscan Forum is
Colorado. His only other stop on his visit to the United States
will be here in Tulsa. Dr. Hoeberichts studied philosophy and
theology at Franciscan schools in the Netherlands and Italy, was
a Lecturer in Moral Theology at the National Seminary in
Pakistan from 1958-1986, and since has been a research scholar
and author on Francis of Assisi and Islam. He has written two
books
Francis and Islam,
published in
1994; and
Paradise Restored: The Social Ethics of Francis
of Assisi,
published in 2004.
Copies of Dr.
Hoeberichts’ book
Francis and Islam
will be
available for purchase that evening.
For more
information, call
918-809-6325
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A Medieval
9/11 and
St. Francis' Reaction To It

Original
flyer for this event
A lecture by
Jan Hoeberichts,
international
scholar on St. Francis and author of the book
Francis and Islam,”
discussing Francis’ visit to the Muslim Sultan during the
Crusades and its implications for the present dialogue between
Muslims and Christians.
Saturday, June 14, 6:30 p.m.
Tulsa Islamic Center,
4630 S. Irvington, Tulsa
Click here for directions
A potluck dinner and optional tour of the mosque will follow at
7:30 p.m.
Lecture is free, though donations will be accepted

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The Francis-and-Islam Connection
by Mary O’Shaughnessy of the Episcopal Diocese of New York
What is
the connection between St. Francis of Assisi and Islam? In 1219,
St. Francis traveled to what is now northern Egypt and paid a
visit to the Muslim Sultan al-Malek al-Kamil. This was at the
beginning of the Fifth Crusade, but Francis and his brothers did
not make this trip as part of the battle to regain the Holy
Land. Rather, they went in opposition to the mainstream
theological and political orthodoxies of the time, to meet the
Muslim people, and to live among them as “lesser brothers.”
Francis
and his brothers went to be present among this people who were
being portrayed as evil enemies of Christ, and, in his
evangelism of presence, Francis found the spirit of God to be
alive and at work within the Muslim people, then called “the
Saracens”. Francis admired their public, repeated acknowledgment
of God and call to prayer, and he appreciated the deep reverence
they showed to their holy book, the Qur’an.
While
the main trend of the time was for Christian preachers to
deliver strident, inflammatory sermons against Islam, Francis
forbade his brothers to take part in these exercises. He
demanded that his brothers be present first and foremost, living
with and among the Saracens. They were to preach only if they
felt that it would “please the Lord.”
Francis
worked to prevent the brotherhood from becoming embroiled in the
grasp for civil and ecclesiastical offices and power, and kept
the community’s focus on serving their neighbors for the glory
of God only.
Based on
Francis and Islam
by J. Hoeberichts (Franciscan Press, 1997)

Additional
Resources
Francis’ understanding of mission: Jan Hoeberichts
Christianity and Islam in Historical Perspective: A Christian’s
View
The Eighth National Franciscan Forum
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About Us
We are a community of Pax Christi USA
members and other friends who meet on a regular basis to pray, study and
act for peace with justice. We embrace the Pax Christi USA statement of
purpose and priorities.
Our Diocesan Pax Christi community meets from noon to 1:00 p.m. the
second Tuesday of each month at Church of the Madalene. We are currently
studying Bishop Slattery's Pastoral Letter on Immigration.
Please contact
John Kennington, 809-6325 or
Fr. Richard Bradley, 272-3080 for more
information.
We also sponsor other events, such as the
Hidden Costs of War photo exhibit and an ongoing poster
exhibit commemorating the 60th anniversary of the bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This exhibit reminds us about of the events of
60 years ago in the hope they are never again repeated, and we can live
in a world at peace, free from the fear of all such weapons and
violence. These posters show the cataclysmic damage caused by a nuclear
weapon.
In 2004 we presented a workshop, "The
Challenge of Faithful Citizenship...The Body of Christ at Work,"
presenting the Bishops' vision for how Catholics can participate in the
political process, along with follow-up workshops at several parishes.
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Hiroshima & Nagasaki Poster Exhibit
Click here for more
information about the poster exhibit we have organized to
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima &
Nagasaki.
Hiroshima &
Nagasaki 60 Years Later: Catholic Voices
Click
here to view the bulletin insert distributed in the Diocese
of Tulsa the weekend of August 6/7, the 60th anniversary of the
bombing of Hiroshima
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About Pax Christi USA
Pax Christi USA
strives to create a world that reflects the
Peace of Christ by exploring, articulating, and witnessing to
the call of Christian nonviolence. This work begins in personal
life and extends to communities of reflection and action to
transform structures of society. Pax Christi USA rejects war,
preparations for war, and every form of violence and domination.
It advocates primacy of conscience, economic and social justice,
and respect for creation.
Pax Christi USA commits itself to peace education and, with the
help of its bishop members, promotes the gospel imperative of
peacemaking as a priority in the Catholic Church in the United
States. Through the efforts of all its members and in
cooperation with other groups, Pax Christi USA works toward a
more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.
Pax Christi is a section of
Pax Christi
International, the
Catholic peace movement.
Pax
Christi USA Priority Areas
Spirituality of Nonviolence and Peacemaking:
Pax Christi USA promotes Christian nonviolence on the personal,
communal, national and international levels. Believing in the
gospel call to conversion as found in the Beatitudes, Pax
Christi USA denounces and resists the evils of violence while
striving to reflect the Peace of Christ.
Disarmament, Demilitarization and Reconciliation with Justice:
Pax Christi USA members promote nuclear, conventional and
domestic disarmament, an end to the international arms trade,
economic conversion to a non-military economy, conscientious
objection, and nonviolent alternatives to war. Pax Christi USA
promotes the just reconciliation of enemies through the United
Nations and other channels.
Economic and Interracial Justice
in the United States:
Pax Christi USA joins the struggle against economic injustice,
militarism, and environmental destruction which are particularly
harmful to those who are poor, minorities, children, and women.
Pax Christi USA works toward eliminating racist structures in
the Catholic Church and the country, working toward equality of
all people.
Human Rights and Global Restoration:
Pax Christi USA promotes universal human rights, both at home
and abroad, through solidarity with oppressed and marginalized
people struggling for dignity. Pax Christi USA rejects every
form of political and economic domination over others and
fosters a reverence for all creation.
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The Challenge of Peace: God's Promise and
Our Response, the pastoral Letter on War and Peace by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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