Guantanamo Vigils
Guantanamo vigils continue outside the main branch of the New York (City) Public Library on Fifth Avenue at 41stStreet the first Wednesday of each month at 4 PM EST and 5 PM EDT. As we are drawn to other critical issues, we must not forget the men still being held at the Guantanamo Detention Center despite either not being tried or not being found guilty of any crime and being designated eligible for release. These men have been tortured. Their lives have been stolen from them for over 20 years. Promises of closing the Detention Center since President Barak Obama have never been kept. And now the Center is being used to detain undocumented migrants, as well. Stand with us to shut this torture camp down!
Ceasefire Vigils
Ceasefires in Gaza are but a hope and a promise while the violence continues; hence, ceasefire vigils continue across the state in multiple locations. You can find out what’s happening near you from groups like Jewish Voice for Peace or, if you’re in or near New York City, join a regular vigil outside the U.S. Mission to the United Nations on First Avenue at 45th Street in New York City every Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.
Fast for Gospel Nonviolence
Please join the annual Fast for Gospel Nonviolence from July 1st to August 9th, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, and also the anniversaries of the executions of Blessed Franz Jaegerstatter for refusing to serve in Hitler’s army and St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) because of her Jewish heritage. As with the Fast for Gaza, you may choose a day, a few days, week, or more to fast in whatever way you are able. Please contact [email protected] to register when you are fasting. We hope to fill all 40 days with at least one faster each day.
Hiroshima/Nagasaki Memorials
This year is the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Help us commemorate these tragic anniversaries and call for the abolition of all nuclear weapons. There will be multiple opportunities, among them:
Vigil outside the Japanese Consulate, Park Avenue and 48th Street, on August 5th from noon to 1 PM., sponsored by the Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World and endorsed by Pax Christi.
Attend a Zoom event on August 8th, at 7 PM, featuring excerpts from a Pax Christi International Webinar, 80 Years of Memory and Action: Honoring the Past, Advancing Disarmament, and Building a Peaceful Future, and including time for discussion among attendees and action suggestions. Please contact [email protected] by August 7th, 2025 for the Zoom link
Join War Resisters League on Saturday, August 9th, any time between noon and 5 PM for the annual War Resisters League Hiroshima-Nagasaki Exhibit in Tompkins Square Park, Temperance Plaza, just east of Avenue A and St. Marks Place. Come at 1 PM for a special ceremony led by Pax Christi Metro NY that will include prayer, the ringing of a gong 80 times for the 80 years since the dawn of the nuclear age, leafletting, and music.
Pax Christi New York State Gathering and Kateri Peace Conference
Pax Christi New York State invites you to a statewide gathering at the beautiful St. Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine in upstate Fonda, NY from Thursday afternoon, August 21st to Friday, August 22nd.
Our afternoon will begin with an opportunity to get to know one another as a community in prayer and conversation. Building on the Jubilee Year that Pope Francis declared before he died, we will contemplate how we can be Pilgrims of Hope in what to many seems a very dark and despondent time.
The following morning we will move to a very particular and special new project of Pax Christi USA, initiated by Pax Christi New York State: The Ben Salmon No Just War Registry for Conscientious Objectors. Friday afternoon will provide you with an opportunity to explore the pastoral grounds of the St. Kateri Shrine, to take a side trip to The National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in nearby Auriesville, or just to relax and enjoy some free time.
We would like to extend a special invitation to high school and college students, teachers, counselors, campus ministers, youth ministers, parents, grandparents, and all who work with young people.
Following the PCNYS Gathering, beginning Friday evening with a pot luck supper will be the Kateri Peace Conference that continues through Saturday afternoon. This year’s conference will focus on the nightmare which is the Palestinian/Israeli conflict with the intent of generating increased compassion, understanding, and life-affirming action. It will include a Tapestry of Word and Song presented by area theater artists and accompanied by flautist Eric Marczak. Guest speakers will include PHYLLIS BENNIS, Jewish scholar/activist from The Institute for Policy Studies in DC.; SANA WAZWAZ, Palestinian-American writer and organizer and chapter lead for the American Muslims for Palestine, Minnesota; and KATHY MANLEY, who is the Legal Director of the Coalition for Civil Freedoms and the Vice-President of the Capital Region Council of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
To register, please contact [email protected]. We hope to see you for the whole enriching weekend or as much of it as you can attend.
Also check the Pax Christi USA events page (https://paxchristiusa.org/events/) for other events and keep checking back here for updates.