Nonviolence/peace/care of earth focus of local, global Days of Action

Judy Russell
·5 min read

This month Pax Christi (Peace of Christ) members around the world, including locally, will participate in the fourth annual Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action.

The Days of Action are held between Sept. 21, which is International Peace Day, and Oct. 2, the International Day of Nonviolence. Starting off the observance and action on Sept. 21 will be a PAX Mass, at which the celebrant will be Father Joe Mattern, who leads the Pax Christi group that meets monthly at Casa Esther, the Catholic Worker house in Omro, which he founded.

According to the Pax Christi USA website, the Mass will be a virtual, online liturgy, starting at 7 p.m. Central Time.

Casa Esther Catholic Worker also is one of the organizers of a five-part online series on Nonviolence and Care for Creation, which will be offered on all Mondays, Oct. 2 through Oct 30, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Central Time. Co-organizers with Casa Esther include Pax Christi USA, The Catholic Nonviolence Initiative ( a project of Pax Christi International), and EcoCareNow.

The virtual series, according to the organizers, “aims to explore a crucial connection between violence and the climate crisis, emphasizing the importance of nonviolent strategies achieving sustainable ecological integrity.”

Although the series, “Living the Season of Creation Nonviolently,” is primarily aimed at university students and faculty, anyone can register to receive the recordings of each session. For more information www.paxchristiusa.org, or contact Casa Esther Catholic Worker at 920-685-0315. The next meeting of the local Pax Christi group is this Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at Casa Esther, 320 N. Webster Ave., Omro. All are welcome.

All of the above is connected to the current Season of Creation, an annual global, ecumenical celebration that unites the world’s 2.6 billion Christians in prayer and action “to protect our common home and to discern the guidance it offers us for bringing about the New Creation.” This annual celebration takes place from Sept. 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. This year’s theme is “Nonviolence/Just Peace.”

Here are some Oshkosh area church events:

  • Rally Sunday, a Fall Kickoff event, will take place next Sunday, Sept. 17, at First United Methodist Church, 700 W. Linwood Ave., Oshkosh. Events begin at 9:30 a.m. After the worship service, the entire church family can partake in some food at Rodney’s Food Truck. Rodney operates a free food program in Oshkosh. Donations will be accepted for Rodney’s mission to feed the hungry. Attendees are asked to bring side dishes and beverages to supplement their meal. The Membership Care team will provide treats for Fellowship Hour and a Sundae Bar. Kris Wood of the church staff reports that lawn games will be available, and children of all ages are welcome to participate in a Bible lesson, carnival games and a bouncy house. Sunday School registrations, she said, are available in print and online. For more information, contact Wood at mskriswood@gmail.com or at 920-420-6321.

  • “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” by Bryan Stevenson, is the choice for the Fall Book Discussion program at St. Jude Parish. In the book, Stevenson, an idealistic, gifted young lawyer in the beginning, reflects on his experiences “defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system.” For more information about the book discussion, which is held on Thursdays, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Sacred Heart site, contact Rob Saley at the parish office, 920-235-7412, or at rsaley@stjudeoshkosh.org.

  • The Feeding Hungry Kids program this summer at St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oshkosh fed 821 children and their parents, according to the church newsletter. They served meals three days a week. Many local businesses donated meals, and others helped with food, gift cards, money and other supplies. Volunteers helped cook and serve the meals.

  • Father Quinn Mann, Parochial Vicar at St. Raphael Parish in Oshkosh, will speak on “A Priest’s Personal Journey” on Saturday at the Men’s Spirituality Morning at Father Carr’s Place 2B. Registration starts at 7 a.m., the Mass is at 7:45 a.m., breakfast at 8:15 a.m., and the presentation at 8:45 a.m. Free-will offerings will be accepted. The event will be in the Mother Teresa Center, 1062 N. Koeller St. For more information, contact Deacon John at 920-203-9272 or at deaconji@gmail.com.

  • First Congregational Church in Oshkosh will have Church in the Park next Sunday, Sept. 17, starting at 10 a.m. in Shelter No. 1 at South Park. The FCC Youth Service Group (Mission Trip Team) will share some reflections on their experiences while serving this summer in Washington, D.C. The South Park service will include a hymn sing. For lunch, sandwich fixings and veggies will be provided. Potluck salads and desserts will be appreciated.

  • The Knights of Columbus Winneconne/Omro Chapter 8810 is accepting cash donations for the Winneconne Area Assistance Center, the Omro Food Pantry, Ruth’s Pantry in Winchester, and Father Carr’s Place 2B. On Friday and Saturday of this weekend, the Knights and their volunteers handed out candy at the Winchester, Omro and Winneconne Kwik Trips, while asking for contributions to support local food banks. The K of C will also be collecting cash donations after all Masses in Winneconne and Omro the weekend of Sept. 16/17. The last K of C Brat Fry of the year will be Sept. 22-24 at the Brat Barn in front of the Winneconne Piggly Wiggly.

  • The Noisy Offering (collection of loose change) for September and October at St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oshkosh is designated for the Oshkosh Area Humane Society, which provides “passionate care and comfort to animals in need, and builds a community that promotes humane treatment of all animals.”

The church lady column is back online: Labor Day prompts memories of union membership in the family

Thought for the Day: “We do not need guns and bombs to bring peace, we need love and compassion.” – Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Judy Russell of Oshkosh writes about happenings at area centers of worship. To submit news for her consideration, email oshkoshsubmit@thenorthwestern.com with the subject “Church news.” Deadline is 5 p.m. Mondays.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action kicks off with PAX Mass Sept. 21