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Peace Day 2008

The Challenge of Peace

Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the US Bishops' Pastoral Letter

Saturday, May 3, 2008

St. Charles Pastoral Center

Theme: "The Challenge of Peace: How Peace is Challenged and How Peace Challenges Us Today." 

Keynote:

Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Seeking Peace in a Time of War

(John Carr)

Workshops:

1. Global Climate Change & How It Can Lead to Conflict (Dan Misleh) 

2. Journey to Justice on The Jericho Road: An introduction to the Way of Peace.  (Claire Noonan) A workshop designed especially for college and high school young people.

3. Conflict, Peace, and Christian Vocation (Joe and Sue Bock)

4. Hiroshima: The Story of An Atom Bomb Survivor - The Cries for Nuclear Disarmament still rise like a Mushroom Cloud to the Heavens! (Akio Inoue and Yuki Miyamoto) 

John Carr

John has served nearly two decades as the Secretary of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In this role, he assists the bishops in sharing and applying Catholic social teaching, advocating on the moral dimensions of key domestic and international issues, and building the Catholic community's capacity to act on social mission.

John oversees the Conference's policy development and advocacy efforts on poverty, health and housing; human rights, religious freedom and development, environment, arms control and peacemaking. He has staffed the bishops in the development and implementation of a number of significant statements including: Communities of Salt and Light, Sharing Catholic Teaching, Called to Global Solidarity, Confronting a Culture of Violence, and Putting Children and Families First.

John writes frequently on Catholic social teaching and the moral dimension of public issues. He speaks regularly on the social mission and message of the Catholic Church and the demands of faith in public life. He is the editor of Full Employment and Economic Justice and co-author of Housing and Mediating Structures.

He has represented the U.S. Conference at the Vatican and in visits to the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Southern Africa, Russia, Central America and Vietnam.

For 25 years, John has been involved in Catholic social ministry, serving in the 80's as Cardinal Hickey's Secretary of Social Concerns in Washington, DC, as Education Director of the Campaign for Human Development, as Coordinator for Urban Issues at the USCC, and a Legislative Coordinator for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis.

Outside the Church, John has served as Executive Director of the White House Conference on Family and as Director of the National Committee for Full Employment.

He has served as chair of the Board of the Center for Community Change, on the board of Bread for the World, the National Religious Partnership for Environment, and the Catholic Health Association. He is a regular participant in Preaching the Just Word retreats offered to priests around the country.

John is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and has received honors and awards from Barry University, University of St. Thomas, Crosier Seminary, the Roundtable of Social Action Directors and the Archdiocese of Washington.

John and his wife, Linda, have four children.

Dan Misleh

Since 1982, Dan Misleh has been involved in the social mission of the Church beginning as a Jesuit Volunteer in Alaska through his most recent work at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as the Director of Diocesan Relations for the Department of Social Development and World Peace. 

Today, Dan is the executive director of the year-old Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (CCCC).  The CCCC seeks to engage the Catholic community in a conversation about a Catholic approach to climate change focusing on the promotion of the common good, the protection of poor people and the exercise of prudence and to more fully implement the U.S. Catholic bishops’ 2001 statement on climate change.

Dan graduated with a degree in business management from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and holds a masters degree in theology from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California. 

Dan and his wife Susan have three children and live in Cheverly, Maryland near Washington, DC.

Claire Noonan

Claire is a University Minister at Loyola University Chicago. At Loyola, she coordinates local service and reflection opportunities for undergraduate students, teaches service-learning theology courses, supervises University Ministry's graduate interns, and directs the ministry program for Jesuits in First Studies.  

She has a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and 15 years of young adult ministry experience.  In addition to her work at Loyola, Claire is also on the Boards of Dominican Volunteers USA and Jesuit Volunteer Corps: Midwest, and a Bernardin Scholar working toward her Ecumenical Doctorate in Ministry at the Catholic Theological Union.

She and her husband, Anthony Schmitz, are the proud parents of a one year old baby girl, Mary Siena.

Joe and Sue (Lyke) Bock

She has served as a volunteer with Every Church a Peace Church (Twin Cities and National) and as Program Director for Emergency Assistance and Advocacy with Metropolitan Lutheran Ministry, Kansas City, Missouri,

In the past Sue has worked as Executive Director of Sarah House, a shelter for homeless women in Washington, D.C. and as Media Relations/Communications Associate with Bread for the World.

Her publications include, “Reflecting on the Christian Peacemaking Team: Hebron,” co-author and “The Orangi Pilot Project - Research and Training Institute,” Case Studies Series No. 9, Local Capacities for Peace Project (Cambridge, MA: Collaborative for Development Action) co-author.

Sue received a Master in the Art of Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, an MSW from the University of Missouri-Columbia. and a BA in Religion from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.

Joe and Sue are the parents of a son and daughter.

Akio Inoue

Akio was born on the west side of Hiroshima City on May 25, 1929. When he was in the 9 th grade in 1944, his entire class had to abandon their school studies for World War II and they were assigned to work at an army clothing factory.

On the 6 th of August, 1945 Akio went to the Red Cross Hospital to see a doctor for his sinus problem. As he passed through the hospital entranceway, the A-bomb exploded over Hiroshima.

After Akio graduated from Hiroshima University, he went to Tokyo to teach at the lower secondary school level. He also taught at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Officers’ Candidate School (formerly Japanese Naval Academy) in Etajima, Hiroshima.

In 1960, Akio went to live in the Chicago area, and he lived there until 2005. Akio was employed at Amoco Corporation (which is now British Petrolium (BP)) as a senior staff systems analyst. In February, 1994, he retired from Amoco after twenty-four years of service. After retirement, Akio studied English Literature at Governors State University, from which he graduated with an M.A.degree in 1997.

In October, 2005, Akio moved to White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Currently, Akio belongs to a local Writers’ Group, most of whose members are native Minnesotans who enjoy writing poetry.

Why did Akio start giving a speech about Hiroshima?

In 1992, Lisa Fittko, Akio’s friend of 30 years, asked Akio to talk about his experience as an A-bomb victim on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing at an event sponsored by Sane Freeze (a group of peace activists). Akio could not say no to Lisa because he had been feeling guilty about being in Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped without having done anything about it, whereas Lisa and her group of people who had only a remote relationship with this 37-year-old experience still spent their day on Hiroshima peace. Immediately he made up his mind to contribute with a speech about his experience.

Yuki Miyamoto

Since earning her PhD from the University of Chicago Divinity School, Yuki Miyamoto has held the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University. A native of Hiroshima, Dr. Miyamoto's work is dedicated primarily to atomic bomb discourse, and her dissertation focused on that topic from the perspective of theological ethics and narrative theory.  Among her publications is “Rebirth in the Pure Land or God’s Sacrificial Lambs?: Religious Interpretation of the Atomic Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki” (Japanese Journal of Religious Studies), in which she compares a Buddhist and a Roman Catholic interpretation of the atomic bombings. She has also recently written and published on Japanese ethics and marginalization.  In 2007 she will lead, for the second time, a group of DePaul students on a short-term study abroad program to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to study the historical significance and wider implications of the bombings

Peace Day Awardees

PaxJoliet Award

Fr. Dick Bennet

Tom Cordaro

Sheila Kinsey OSF

Community of Salt and Light Award

St. Jude Parish - New Lenox

Schedule: 

Registration Information

Suggested Donations

without luncheon: $15 (seniors/student $10)

with luncheon: $25 (seniors/student $20)

Please download, print and mail the registration form by April 25, 2008.

Education Credit forms will be available for catechists and teachers.

There will be signing for the deaf and hearing impaired.

Golf Cart chaufering will be available for the physically challenged.