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Building Peace with the 2012 Games - and a song!


l-r: Fr Joe Ryan, Margaret Mizen and Barbara Kentish

l-r: Fr Joe Ryan, Margaret Mizen and Barbara Kentish

The 'Hundred Days of Peace' was launched at the Justice and Peace annual day at Westminster Cathedral Hall on Saturday 15 October. Archbishop Vincent greeted the gathering of around 100 people and led the opening prayer. He reminded us that the schools had had their own launch in the Cathedral the previous week and encouraged us to spread the idea of peace on the streets of London to all parishes. The aim of the day was to empower parishes to plan their own peace events in the lead up to the 2012 Games. Two exciting resources were launched: the first, a booklet of ideas and resources, and the second, a song, specially commissioned for the 'peace season'. Both are available from the peace legacy website www.peacelegacy.org.uk Hard copies of the booklet, and, shortly, sheet music for the song, are available from the Justice and Peace office (4 Vincent Road, N15 3QH).


Pat Gaffney of Pax Christi explained the concept of a culture of peace: remembering peace people in our areas, planting peace gardens, and marking local efforts towards reconciliation, so that war and militarism do not define our outlook. James Parker outlined the opportunities that More Than Gold offered for churches to get involved in celebrating the Games, such as offering hospitality and organising 'Big Screen' Festivals. Margaret Mizen of the Jimmy Mizen Foundation, shared with us her memories of her son, tragically killed at the age of 16 in South London by an angry boy, and outlined what she and her husband have tried to do since, in visiting schools and prisons to preach the futility of anger and hatred. Participants concluded the final liturgy by moving out of the Hall and walking to the St Francis statue behind the Cathedral, to offer prayers for peace for the world and peace for the streets of London, singing the St Francis peace prayer, 'Make me a Channel of Your Peace'.

Fr Joe Ryan said: "It was thrilling to have a song written specially for our project". Composed by a teacher from Crewe, Matthew Plant, at the request of the Justice and Peace Commission, this was sung and recorded by his pupils at St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Crewe. It is likewise downloadable from the Peace Legacy website. Sheet music will shortly be available.

Colette Joyce, the 100 Days of Peace worker, is available to talk to schools and parishes about how they might get involved in 100 Days of Peace activities and can be contacted on colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk

LINKS

Peace Legacy see: www.peacelegacy.org.uk/

More than Gold: www.morethangold.org.uk

For a 10 minute video of Archbishop Vincent Nichols' homily at a Mass in Westminster Cathedral on 7 October launching the '100 days of Peace' in Catholic schools see: http://vimeo.com/30429860" http://vimeo.com/30429860

Pax Christi's special Sept/Oct 2011 issue on Peace and the Olympics, including a front page article by Barbara Kentish. www.paxchristi.org.uk/newsl.HTML

Westminster Archdiocesan Justice and Peace office - 0208 888 4222


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