Pax Christ Advent celebration

L-R: Pat Gaffney, Ann Farr, Bernadette Farrell

There was standing room only at Pax Christi's annual Advent Service at St Aloysius in Euston on Monday. Catholic songwriter and liturgist Bernadette Farrell lead the prayers and music.

During the service, prayers were said for a Pax Christi member from Coventry who is travelling to Palestine today to spend three months volunteering with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. Ann Farr, who lit a special candle during the service, will join an international team of 20, all serving in the West Bank to be a protective presence to vulnerable communities and support Palestinians and Israelis working together for peace. She will live alongside villagers and document any human rights abuses she sees in the village of Yanoun.

Bernadette is lead organiser of South London Citizens, who are campaigning for a living wage and run a CitySafe campaign to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. A keen supporter of Pax Christi Bernadette has dedicated at least one of her hymns to the Catholic peace organisation and its UK General Secretary Pat Gaffney.

The service was signed by Shell and Sarah from Westminster Diocese's Deaf Service. The evening continued with a party and Christmas Market selling goods from Latin America, Palestine and Africa, in the parish hall.