MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF PAX CHRISTI BALTIMORE

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY/CONFERENCE FOR THE 50^TH ANNIVERSARY

Perhaps you have heard from other sources, but this is the 50^th anniversary of Pax Christi USA!

In recognition of that amazing milestone, Pax Christi USA will hold an in person National Assembly NEXT WEEK. From Thursday, August 4 through Sunday, August 7. It will be held at the Doubletree Hotel at 300 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, Virginia.

This is first in person National Assembly since the Baltimore Assembly in 2016. That’s six years! The keynote speaker will be Archbishop John C. Wester, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, who recently issued a Pastoral Letter on disarmament and nuclear war.

Hotel rooms are in short supply (and may be unavailable at this point) BUT registration for the conference is still open and there are two ways to attend: commuter and virtually.

Registration for commuter attendance is only:

–$275 (without meals or attendance at the Saturday evening banquet) and

–$350 with attendance at the banquet (but no other meals)

[Parking at the hotel is $25 day.]

Registration to attend virtually is only $150, which includes livestream links to plenary sessions, video access to selected workshops after the conference, and digital version of participants’ packets, etc.)

Go to the Pax Christi USA website to get more information. And register today!

HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI BALTIMORE EVENTS

On August 6 from 3 to 4 PM, gather outside Northrop Grumman, 973 Elkridge Landing Road, near BWI, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090.  Demonstrate and inform CEO Kathy Warden that producing weapons of mass destruction is immoral and unethical. Mourn for the people of Hiroshima, as on this day in 1945 they were victims of a weapon which did not distinguish between noncombatants and members of the military.

Northrop-Grumman is the #1 nuclear weapons contractor.The company has received a large contract for the ground based strategic deterrent (GBSD) to replace the Minuteman.  This weapons system is unnecessary, and extremely dangerous being on hair trigger alert. A nuclear war could start by accident. This weapons contractor, like others, does lobbying, makes campaign contributions to legislators, helps write legislation, uses the revolving door and places generals on its board of directors. These weapons contractors have an inordinate influence on decision-making in Congress and in the White House.

That same evening, join in by Zoom for a webinar from 7:30 to 9 PM: Why are US nuclear weapons in five European countries? John LaForge of Nukewatch will lead the webinar with his wife Marion Kupker, a German citizen. LaForge has been convicted of two criminal trespass convictions stemming from protests against the threatened use of the U.S. nuclear weapons stationed at Büchel Air Base in Germany.The two activists will argue that U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe are a violation of international law, and must beremoved. 

On August 9 from 4 to 5 PM, gather at 33rd and North Charles Streets in Baltimore across the street from Johns Hopkins University. JHU is a major weapons contractor receiving close to $1 billion in research contracts at its Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County Maryland.  The university is the #1 nuclear weapons contractor among educational institutions.  Every tax dollar which is used for weapons research is a tax dollar taken away from pandemic relief, climate chaos mitigation, diplomacy, healthcare for all and programs designed to alleviate poverty.

That same evening from 7:30 to 9 PM, participate in a Zoom presentation Nuclear Weapons 101 – a tutorial.  A number of activists were fill you in on the movement to abolish nuclear weapons from the Nuclear Freeze to the Plowshares to Nuclear Free Zones to Back from the Brink and to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

You can get involved in this movement.

PAX CHRISTI METRO DC-BALTIMORE / NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER

ADVERTISEMENT

We have another ad in the NCR, about human needs and saner choices for our elected representatives. Go to www.paxchristimetrodc.org, to sign on to the ad. There is a minimum donation when you sign on. The deadline to sign on is in August.

DUES/DONATIONS

A reminder that dues for membership in Pax Christi Baltimore are only $25 annually. Of course, any contribution above that figure would be appreciated. The funds are utilized for our continued activities and annual events.

To contribute go to our website page: www.PaxChristiBaltimore.org. And go to the Donate page. You can make your contribution by credit card on that page (don’t worry that the donate page will show my name, any donation/contribution will go through PayPal and be directed to our Pax Christi Baltimore account).

If you prefer to send a check, make it out to “Pax Christi Baltimore” and send it to:

1579 Dellsway Road, Baltimore, MD 21286.

Thank you for your dues/donations to fund our activities.  

Look for a possible Evening of Reflection with a major speaker in October and our annual Advent Prayer Service in December.

Peace and Thank You.

Your Coordinator,

Chuck Michaels